ExampleA link to google.com: <a href="http://www.google.com">Visit Google.com!</a> | Browser Support |
1. Definition and Usage
The <a> tag defines an anchor. An anchor can be used in two ways:
- To create a link to another document, by using the href attribute
- To create a bookmark inside a document, by using the name attribute
The <a> element is usually referred to as a link or a hyperlink.
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
2. Tips and Notes
Tip: The following attributes: download, hreflang, media, rel, target, and type cannot be present if the href attribute is not present.
Tip: A linked page is normally displayed in the current browser window, unless you specify another target.
Tip: Use CSS to style links.
3. Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5
In HTML 4.01, the <a> tag could be either a hyperlink or an anchor. 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 no longer supported.
4. Optional Attributes
DTD indicates in which HTML 4.01/XHTML 1.0 DTD the attribute is allowed. S=Strict, T=Transitional, and F=Frameset.
| Attribute | Value | Description | DTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| charset | char_encoding | Specifies the character-set of a linked document | STF |
| coords | coordinates | Specifies the coordinates of a link | STF |
| href | URL | Specifies the URL of the page the link goes to | STF |
| hreflang | language_code | Specifies the language of the linked document | STF |
| name | section_name | Specifies the name of an anchor | STF |
| rel | text | Specifies the relationship between the current document and the linked document | STF |
| rev | text | Specifies the relationship between the linked document and the current document | STF |
| shape | default rect circle poly | Specifies the shape of a link | STF |
| target | _blank _parent _self _top framename | Specifies where to open the linked document | TF |
5. Standard Attributes
The <a> tag also supports the Standard Attributes in HTML.
6. Event Attributes
The <a> tag also supports the Standard Event Attributes in HTML.
