How do I connect a form label to the right input?

For an explicit connection, give the input an id and give its label a for value that matches that id exactly. [S1]

<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="email">

Here, for="email" matches id="email". If you change one value, update the other to match. Nearby text may look like a label on screen, but plain nearby text alone does not provide the same reliable programmatic association. [S1]

Check each field as a pair: read the label’s for value, find the input with the matching id, and confirm that the label’s wording describes that input. The essential check for the explicit method is an exact match between those two values. [S1]

For example, a name field and an email field could be written like this:

<label for="full-name">Full name</label>
<input id="full-name" name="fullName" type="text">

<label for="email-address">Email address</label>
<input id="email-address" name="email" type="email">

The name values are shown as example form-field names; the label association in this example comes from matching each for to its input’s id. If you copy a field, review both values and the label text rather than assuming the copied pair still suits the new field.

No. Another method is to put the input inside its label, so the input is associated implicitly. [S1] For example:

<label>Email address
  <input name="email" type="email">
</label>

Choose one clear method for the field. If you use the explicit method, verify the matching for and id; if you use the wrapping method, verify that the input is inside the intended label. The example shows the basic association pattern; it does not establish that the rest of a form is accessible or correctly configured.

Review the markup one field at a time. For an explicit pair, compare the label’s for value with the intended input’s id, character for character. Then read the label and confirm it describes the field you mean. For an implicit pair, check that the intended input is enclosed by its label. [S1]

A simple review note could look like this:

Label text: Email address
Association method: explicit
Label for: email-address
Input id: email-address
Match: yes
Label describes intended field: yes

This is a markup check, not a complete accessibility audit. The source describes label association methods; it does not establish that a particular form meets every accessibility requirement.