HTML Attributes: Using attributes in HTML tags
Written by Brad MarkleIn HTML, each tag can have different attributes applied. Attributes allow the HTML tag to have specific properties added to them. You can assign a "class" to reuse styles through our your website, or style your elements with the "style" attribute. Don't worry about how the style and class attributes work at this moment, this will be discussed further in our Using & Understanding CSS course.
Basic HTML attributes
The following example explains how an <a> anchor tag uses the attributes "href", "target", and "title".
<a href="http://google.com" target="_blank" title="Click Here">
In this example, the anchor is a hyperlink to Google.com. The href attribute will direct the visitor to Google. The target attribute will open the link in a different window or the same window. In this case _blank opens to a new window or tab. The title attribute will display text when hovering over the link. Below is a small list of common attributes used and a description. Below are the most commonly used HTML attributes.
| Most common HTML Attributes | |
|---|---|
| class | This attribute is used to apply CSS styles in a style sheet. For example: <p class="paragraph"></p>. |
| style | Allows CSS style to be applied to a specific Element. An example usage of this is the following: <p style="color: #000000"></p>. |
| id | This is a particular identifier of the element. This can only be used once per element. For Example: <p id="para1"></p>. |
| title | The title codes information in the tag about the tag. For example in an <a> anchor tag, you can use the title attribute to allow a small text pop up when the mouse is hovers over the anchor. For example: <a href="/support/" title="Click Here"></a> |
| name | This gives the Element a name. This is different than the title in that the name is not seen by the visitor. The most common use of this is in the <a> anchor tag. The name will navigate the visitor to a specific place on the page. For Example: <a name="this-page-location"></a>. This will navigate your browser to the location of this anchor when you visit the url in the browser like the following: http://your-domain.com/#this-page-location |
| width | The width attribute can be used in elements that support. For example: <div width="100"></div> |
| align | The align attribute tells the browser if the text is centered, left, or right aligned. For Example: <div align="left"></div> |
These attributes are used most often to style and label your HTML tags. You can add or remove attributes as needed for the tag to function how you want.
HTML Attribute reference
Below is an more exhaustive reference and their correlating tags they are used for.
| attribute | Supported Elements |
|---|---|
| abbr | <td> <th> |
| accept-charset | <form> |
| accept | <form> <input> |
| accesskey | <a> <area> <button> <input> <label> <legend> <textarea> |
| action | <form> |
| align | <caption> <iframe> <img> <input> <object> <legend> <table> <hr> <div> <h1> <h2> <h3> <p> <col> <colgroup> <tbody> <td> <tfoot> <th> <thead> <tr> |
| alink | <body> |
| alt | <applet> <area> <img> <input> |
| archive | <applet> <object> |
| axis | <td> <th> |
| background | <tbody |
| bgcolor | <table> <tr> <td> <th> <body> |
| border | <table> <img> <object> |
| cellpadding | <table> |
| char | <col> <colgroup> <tbody> <td> <tfoot> <th> <thead> <tr> |
| charoff | <col> <colgroup> <tbody> <td> <tfoot> <th> <thead> <tr> |
| charset | <a> <link> <script> |
| checked | <input> |
| cite | <blockquot> <q> <del> <ins> |
| class | Most Elements |
| classid | <object> |
| clear | <br> |
| code | <applet> |
| codebase | <applet> <object> |
| codetype | <object> |
| color | <basefont> <font> |
| cols | <frameset> <textarea> |
| colspan | <th> <td> |
| compact | <applet> <dir> <dl> <menu> <ol> <ul> |
| content | <meta> |
| coords | <area> <a> |
| data | <object> |
| datetime | <del> <ins> |
| declare | <object> |
| defer | <script> |
| dir | Most Elements |
| disabled | <button> <input> <optgtoup> <option> <select> <textarea> |
| enctype | <form> |
| face | <basefont> <font> |
| for | <label> |
| frame | <table> |
| frameborder | <frame> <iframe> |
| headers | <th> <td> |
| height | <iframe> <td> <th> <img> <object> <applet> |
| href | <a> <area> <link> <base> |
| hreflang | <a> <link> |
| hspace | <applet> <img> <object> |
| http-equiv | <meta> |
| id | Most Elements |
| ismap | <img> <input> |
| label | <option> <optgroup> |
| lang | Most Elements |
| language | <script> |
| link | <body> |
| longdesc | <img> <frame> <iframe> |
| marginheight | <frame> <iframe> |
| marginwidth | <frame> <iframe> |
| maxlength | <input> |
| media | <style> <link> |
| method | <form> |
| multiple | <select> |
| name | <button> <textarea> <applet> <select> <form> <frame> <iframe> <img> <a> <input> <objext> <map> <param> <meta> |
| nohref | <area> |
| noresize | <frame> |
| noshade | <hr> |
| nowrap | <th> <td> |
| object | <applet> |
| onblur | <a> <area> <button> <input> <label> <select> <textarea> |
| onchange | <input> <select> <textarea> |
| onclick | Most Elements |
| ondblclick | Most Elements |
| onfocus | <a> <area> <button> <input> <label> <select> <textarea> |
| onkeydown | Most Elements |
| onkeypress | Most Elements |
| onkeyup | Most Elements |
| onload | <frameset> <body> |
| onmousedown | Most Elements |
| onmousemove | Most Elements |
| onmouseout | Most Elements |
| onmouseover | Most Elements |
| onmouseup | Most Elements |
| onreset | <form> |
| onselect | <nput> <textarea> |
| onsubmit | <form> |
| onunload | <frameset> <body> |
| profile | <head> |
| prompt | <bisindexody> |
| readonly | <textarea> <input> |
| rel | <a> <link> |
| rev | <a> <link> |
| rows | <frameset> <textarea> |
| rowspan | <th> <td> |
| rules | <table> |
| scheme | <meta> |
| scope | <th> <td> |
| scrolling | <frame> <iframe> |
| selected | <option> |
| shape | <a> <area> |
| size | <hr> <font> <input> <basefont> <select> |
| span | <col> <colgroup> |
| src | <script> <input> <frame> <iframe> <img> |
| standby | <object> |
| start | <ol> |
| style | Most Elements |
| summary | <table> |
| tabindex | <a> <area> <button> <input> <object> <select> <textarea> |
| target | <a> <area> <base> <form> <link> |
| text | <body> |
| title | Most Elements |
| type | <a> <link> <object> <param> <script> <style> <input> <li> <ol> <ul> <button> |
| usemap | <img> <input> <object> |
| valign | <col> <colgroup> <tbody> <td> <tfoot> <th> <thead> <tr> |
| value | <input> <option> <param> <button> <li> |
| valuetype | <param> |
| version | <html> |
| vlink | <body> |
| vspace | <applet> <image> <object> <iframe> <img> <object> <table> <col> <col> <col> <col> <col> |
| width | <hr> <iframe> <img> <object> <table> <td> <th> <applet> <col> <colgroup> |
| widthpre | <col> |
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