HTML Elements Index

A continuously updated list of all HTML and XHTML elements. Also consider the announcement with comments, notes, as well as the complementary CSS properties index.

Element (Meaning) ↓ HTML 1 HTML 2.0 HTML 3.2 HTML 4.01 XHTML 1.0 XHTML 1.1 HTML 5.2 HTML
1992 1995 1997 1999 2000 2010 2017 —
a (anchor) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
abbr (abbreviation) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
acronym (acronym) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no
address (author information) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
applet (Java applet) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
area (image map area) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
article (self-contained and distributable content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
aside (related content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
audio (audio content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
b (bold text style; since HTML 5: attention) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
base (document base URL) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
basefont (base font size) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
bdi (bidi isolation) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
bdo (bidi override) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
big (large text style) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no
blockquote (long quotation) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
body (document body) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
br (line break) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
button (push button) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
canvas (bitmap canvas) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
caption (table caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
center (<div align="center"></div>) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
cite (citation) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
code (code fragment) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
col (table column) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
colgroup (table column group) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
data (content with machine-readable equivalent) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
datalist (predefined options for form controls) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
dd (description) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
del (deleted text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
details (disclosure widget) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
dfn (instance definition) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
dialog (user interaction) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
dir (directory list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
div (generic container) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
dl (description list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
dt (description term) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
em (emphasis) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
embed (integration point) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
fieldset (form control group) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
figcaption (figure caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
figure (self-contained flow content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
font (font style) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
footer (footer) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
form (form) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
frame (subwindow) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
frameset (window subdivision) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
h1 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
h2 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
h3 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
h4 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
h5 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
h6 (heading) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
head (document head) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
header (header) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
hgroup (heading and related content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
hr (thematic break) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
html (document root) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
i (italic text style; since HTML 5: alternate voice) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
iframe (inline subwindow) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
img (image content) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
input (input field) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
ins (inserted text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
isindex (input field with text prompt) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
kbd (user input) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
label (form control caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
legend (fieldset caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
li (list item) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
link (resource link) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
listing (preformatted text, similar to pre) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
main (dominant content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
map (image map) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
mark (marked reference text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
menu (menu list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
meta (metadata) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
meter (scalar measurement) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
nav (navigation section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
nextid (anchor name hint) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
noframes (frame fallback) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
noscript (script fallback) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
object (generic content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
ol (ordered list) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
optgroup (option group) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
option (selectable choice) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
output (calculation or user action output) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
p (paragraph) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
param (object parameter) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no
picture (extended image content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
plaintext (preformatted plain-text) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
pre (preformatted text) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
progress (progress of a task) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
q (short quotation) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
rb (ruby base) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✗ no
rp (ruby parentheses) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
rt (ruby text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
rtc (ruby text container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✗ no
ruby (ruby markup) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
s (struck-through text style; since HTML 5: irrelevance) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
samp (sample output) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
script (script) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
search (search controls or content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
section (generic section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
select (option selector) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
slot (shadow tree slot) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
small (small text style; since HTML 5: small print) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
source (media content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
span (generic container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
strike (struck-through text style) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
strong (strong emphasis; since HTML 5: importance) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
style (formatting) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
sub (subscript) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
summary (details caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
sup (superscript) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
table (table) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
tbody (table body) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
td (table data cell) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
template (fragment declaration) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
textarea (multi-line input field) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
tfoot (table footer) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
th (table header cell) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
thead (table header) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
time (date, time, time zone offset, or duration) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
title (document title) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
tr (table row) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
track (text track) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
tt (teletype text style) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no
u (underlined text style; since HTML 5: annotation) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
ul (unordered list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
var (variable) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
video (video content) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
wbr (line break opportunity) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
xmp (preformatted text, similar to pre) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
Number (out of 132) → 22 49 70 91 91 83 111 112
HTML 1 HTML 2.0 HTML 3.2 HTML 4.01 XHTML 1.0 XHTML 1.1 HTML 5.2 HTML

Notes

How about the extended version (PDF and XLSX), with information on void elements and optional tags?

  1. Only the latest version of the W3C specification of HTML (5) is featured. This is done in order to limit confusion. For the latest in HTML please refer to the WHATWG specification.

  2. Living HTML also knows math, svg, and custom elements. As these represent the parent elements for special markup they’re not part of the index. (When counting HTML elements, this is important to mention.)

  3. XHTML 2.0 was once part of this index, but got removed because it never became a standard. You find the latest version of this index featuring XHTML 2.0 at archive.today.