How to Get User Input in Python

If you want your Python program to ask the user for a name, age, or any other value, use input().

This page shows you how to:

ask for input with input()
store the result in a variable
print the value back to the user
convert input text to numbers when needed
avoid common beginner mistakes

Quick answer

name = input("Enter your name: ")
print("Hello,", name)

input() always returns text. If you need a number, convert it with int() or float().

What this page helps you do

Use input() to read text from the keyboard
Store the result in a variable
Print the entered value
Convert input text to numbers when needed

Basic syntax of `input()`

input() pauses the program and waits for the user to type something.

The text inside input("...") is called the prompt. It tells the user what to enter.

The value returned by input() is always a string. A string is text in Python.

Basic example:

name = input("Enter your name: ")
print(name)

What happens here:

input("Enter your name: ") shows a message
the program waits for the user to type
the typed value is stored in name
print(name) shows the value

If you want a full explanation of how this function works, see Python input() function explained.

Get text input

Use input() directly when you want text such as:

names
cities
favorite colors
yes/no answers

Example:

city = input("Which city do you live in? ")
print("You live in", city)

Possible output:

Which city do you live in? New York
You live in New York

If the user types spaces, they stay in the result.

Example:

full_name = input("Enter your full name: ")
print(full_name)

If the user enters Ava Smith, the variable contains the full text Ava Smith.

Convert input to a number

input() does not return numbers by itself. Even if the user types 25, Python still treats it as text.

Use `int()` for whole numbers

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
print("Next year you will be", age + 1)

Possible output:

Enter your age: 30
Next year you will be 31

Use `float()` for decimal numbers

price = float(input("Enter the price: "))
print("The price is", price)

Possible output:

Enter the price: 19.99
The price is 19.99

Use:

int() for whole numbers like 5 or 42
float() for decimal numbers like 3.14

If you want more examples, see how to convert user input to numbers in Python.

Important warning

If the user enters something that cannot be converted, Python raises a ValueError.

Example:

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
print(age)

If the user types hello, the program crashes because hello is not a valid integer.

For that specific problem, see how to fix ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10.

Use input in a simple program

Here is a small program that asks for two values and prints a message.

name = input("What is your name? ")
age = int(input("How old are you? "))

print("Hello,", name)
print("Next year you will be", age + 1)

Example run:

What is your name? Maya
How old are you? 12
Hello, Maya
Next year you will be 13

This example combines:

prompts
variables
number conversion
print()

Handle invalid input safely

If you convert user input with int() or float(), bad input can cause an error.

A simple way to handle this is with try and except.

try:
    age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
    print("Next year you will be", age + 1)
except ValueError:
    print("Please enter a valid whole number.")

What this does:

try runs the code that might fail
if int() cannot convert the text, except ValueError runs
the program shows a clear message instead of crashing

Example run with bad input:

Enter your age: twelve
Please enter a valid whole number.

If you are new to this, see how to use try and except blocks in Python.

Common beginner mistakes

Forgetting that `input()` returns a string

This is one of the most common mistakes.

age = input("Enter your age: ")
print(age + 1)

This does not work because age is text, not a number.

Fix it by converting the input:

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
print(age + 1)

Trying to add a number to raw input text

If you mix strings and integers incorrectly, Python raises an error.

Wrong:

score = input("Enter your score: ")
print("Your score plus one is " + (score + 1))

Right:

score = int(input("Enter your score: "))
print("Your score plus one is", score + 1)

Using `input()` without saving the result

If you do not store the result, you cannot use it later.

Less useful:

input("Enter your name: ")
print("Hello")

Better:

name = input("Enter your name: ")
print("Hello,", name)

Writing a prompt that is unclear

A good prompt tells the user exactly what to enter.

Unclear:

value = input("Enter value: ")

Clearer:

value = input("Enter your age in whole numbers: ")

Leading or trailing spaces in input

Sometimes the user accidentally types extra spaces.

You can check this with:

user_input = input("Enter something: ")

print(user_input)
print(type(user_input))
print(repr(user_input))

These lines help you debug:

print(user_input) shows the visible value
print(type(user_input)) shows the data type
print(repr(user_input)) shows hidden spaces like ' hello '

If needed, you can remove extra spaces with .strip():

name = input("Enter your name: ").strip()
print("Hello,", name)

FAQ

What does `input()` return in Python?

It returns a string, even if the user types digits.

How do I get a number from user input?

Wrap input() with int() for whole numbers or float() for decimals.

Why does my program crash when I type letters instead of a number?

int() and float() raise ValueError if the text cannot be converted.

Can I ask for input more than once?

Yes. Call input() again each time you need another value.