The HTML <section> element represents a generic section of a document, i.e., a thematic grouping of content, typically with a heading. Each <section> should be identified, typically by including a heading (<h1>-<h6> element) as a child of the <section> element.
Usage notes :
- If it makes sense to separately syndicate the content of a
<section>element, use an<article>element instead. - Do not use the
<section>element as a generic container; this is what<div>is for, especially when the sectioning is only for styling purposes. A rule of thumb is that a section should logically appear in the outline of a document.
| Content categories | Flow content, Sectioning content, palpable content. |
|---|---|
| Permitted content | Flow content. |
| Tag omission | None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory. |
| Permitted parent elements | Any element that accepts flow content. Note that a <section> element must not be a descendant of an <address> element. |
| DOM interface | HTMLElement |
Attributes
This element only includes the global attributes.
Example 1
Before
<div> <h1>Heading</h1> <p>Bunch of awesome content</p> </div>
After
<section> <h1>Heading</h1> <p>Bunch of awesome content</p> </section>
Example 2
Before
<div> <h2>Heading</h2> <img src="bird.jpg" alt="bird"> </div>
After
<section> <h2>Heading</h2> <img src="bird.jpg" alt="bird"> </section>
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| WHATWG HTML Living Standard The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Living Standard | |
| HTML5.1 The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Working Draft | |
| HTML5 The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Recommendation |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 5 | 4.0 (2.0) | 9.0 | 11.10 | 4.1 |
| Feature | Android | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Mobile | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 2.2 | 4.0 (2.0) | 9.0 | 11.0 | 5.0 (iOS 4.2) |
See also
Document Tags and Contributors
Tags:
Contributors to this page:
Sheppy,
Popodopolos,
jsx,
teoli,
Sebastianz,
Jeremie,
MusikAnimal,
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justleroy,
ethertank,
tregagnon,
pepita96,
medicdude,
dhodder,
fscholz,
McGurk,
hobophobe,
jswisher
Last updated by:
Sheppy,