HTML5 <a> Tag

Example

A link to QcTutorials:

<a href="http://www.qctutorials.com">Visit QcTutorials</a>
Code it Online »

Definition and Usage

The <a> tag defines a hyperlink, which is used to link from one page to another.

The most important attribute of the a element is the href attribute, which indicates the link�s destination.

By default, links will appear as follows in all browsers:

  • An unvisited link is underlined and blue
  • A visited link is underlined and purple
  • An active link is underlined and red

Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5

In HTML 4.01, the <a> tag could be either a hyperlink or an anchor. This was determined by the href attribute. In HTML5, the <a> tag is always a hyperlink, but if it has no href attribute, it is only a placeholder for a hyperlink.

HTML5 has some new attributes, and some HTML 4.01 attributes are not supported in HTML5.

Tips and Notes

Hint: The attributes: hreflang, media, ping, rel, target, and type attributes can not be present if the href attribute is not present.

Hint: A linked page is normally displayed in the current browser window, unless you specify another target.

Hint: Use CSS to style links.

Attributes

Attribute Value Description
charset char_encoding Not supported in HTML5
coords coordinates Not supported in HTML5
href URL Specifies the destination of the target URL
hreflang language_code Specifies the language of the target URL
media media query Specifies what media/device the target URL is optimized for. Default value: all
name section_name Not supported in HTML5
rel alternate
archives
author
bookmark
external
first
help
icon
index
last
license
next
nofollow
noreferrer
pingback
prefetch
prev
search
sidebar
stylesheet
tag
up 		Specifies the relationship between the current document and the target URL
rev text Not supported in HTML5
shape default
rect
circle
poly		 Not supported in HTML5
target _blank
_parent
_self
_top
framename		 Specifies where to open the target URL
type mime_type Specifies the MIME type of the target URL

Standard Attributes

The <a> tag also supports the Standard Attributes in HTML5.

Event Attributes

The <a> tag also supports the Event Attributes in HTML5.

Have Any Suggestion? We Are Waiting To Hear from YOU!

Your Query was successfully sent!