# The String padStart() method

> Learn how the JavaScript padStart() method adds characters to the start of a string until it reaches a target length, using a space or a pad string you provide.

Author: [Flavio Copes](https://flaviocopes.com/about/) | Published: 2019-02-26 | Topics: [JavaScript](https://flaviocopes.com/tags/js/) | Canonical: https://flaviocopes.com/javascript-string-padstart/

The purpose of string padding is to **add characters to a string**, so it **reaches a specific length**.

`padStart()` can be used to add characters at the beginning of a string.

```js
padStart(targetLength [, padString])
```

Sample usage:

| padStart()                  |              |
| --------------------------- |:-------------|
| 'test'.padStart(4)          | 'test'       |
| 'test'.padStart(5)          | ' test'      |
| 'test'.padStart(8)          | '    test'   |
| 'test'.padStart(8, 'abcd')  | 'abcdtest'   |


Also see [`padEnd()`](https://flaviocopes.com/javascript-string-padend/).