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 (client-side image map) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
article (“independent” section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
aside (“auxiliary” section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
audio (audio stream) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
b (bold text style; HTML 5: for attention) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
base (document base URI) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
basefont (base font size) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
bdi (I18N: bidi isolation) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
bdo (I18N: 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 (forced 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">) ✗ 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 (data with machine-readable equivalent) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
datalist (data list) ✗ 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 (additional information) ✗ 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 (legend) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
figure (paragraph with embedded content and caption) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
font (local change to font) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
footer (section footer) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
form (interactive 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 (section header) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
hgroup (section heading) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
hr (horizontal rule) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
html (document root) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
i (italic text style; HTML 5: alternate voice) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
iframe (inline subwindow) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
img (embedded image) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
input (form control) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
ins (inserted text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
isindex (single line prompt) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
kbd (keyboard input) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
label (form field label) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
legend (fieldset legend) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
li (list item) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
link (media-independent link) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
listing (listing) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
main (dominant contents container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
map (client-side image map) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
mark (marked text) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
menu (menu list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
meta (generic meta-information) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
meter (scalar measurement) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
nav (navigation links section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
nextid (anchor element name hint) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
noframes (fallback container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
noscript (fallback container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
object (generic embedded object) ✗ 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 (output) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
p (paragraph) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
param (named property value) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no
picture (image container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
plaintext (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 inline 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 (strike-through text style) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
samp (sample output) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
script (script statements) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
search (search functionality) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
section (document section) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
select (option selector) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
slot (slot) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes
small (small text style; HTML 5: small print) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
source (media resource) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
span (generic container) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
strike (strike-through text) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no
strong (strong emphasis; HTML 5: importance) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
style (style info) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
sub (subscript) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
summary (summary, caption, or legend) ✗ 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 (HTML fragment declaration) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
textarea (multi-line text 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 or time) ✗ 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 (timed 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) ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
ul (unordered list) ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
var (variable instance) ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
video (video) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
wbr (line break opportunity) ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✗ no ✓ yes ✓ yes
xmp (preformatted text) ✓ 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

  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.