---
title: "How to: Add a Watermark to a TextBox"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "displaying a background image inside a text box to aid user input [WPF]"
  - "aid usability of a TextBox using a background image [WPF]"
ms.assetid: df89bdd8-a0fb-45e0-b312-dd53332d01a8
---
# How to: Add a Watermark to a TextBox
The following example shows how to aid usability of a <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBox> by displaying an explanatory background image inside of the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBox> until the user inputs text, at which point the image is removed. In addition, the background image is restored again if the user removes their input. See illustration below.  
  
 ![A TextBox with a background image](./media/editing-textbox-using-background-image.png "Editing_TextBox_using_background_image")  
  
> [!NOTE]
> The reason a background image is used in this example rather then simply manipulating the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBox.Text%2A> property of <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBox>, is that a background image will not interfere with data binding.  
  
## Example  
 [!code-xaml[TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip#TextBoxBackgroundExampleWholePage](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip/csharp/textbox_with_background_image.xaml#textboxbackgroundexamplewholepage)]  
  
 [!code-csharp[TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip#TextBoxBackgroundCodeExampleWholePage](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip/csharp/textbox_with_background_image.xaml.cs#textboxbackgroundcodeexamplewholepage)]
 [!code-vb[TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip#TextBoxBackgroundCodeExampleWholePage](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/TextBoxMiscSnippets_snip/visualbasic/textbox_with_background_image.xaml.vb#textboxbackgroundcodeexamplewholepage)]  
  
## See also

- [TextBox Overview](textbox-overview.md)
- [RichTextBox Overview](richtextbox-overview.md)