Revision 1122577 of <p>

<div>{{HTMLRef}}</div>

<p><span class="seoSummary">The <strong>HTML <code>&lt;p&gt;</code> element</strong> (or <em>HTML Paragraph Element</em>) represents a paragraph of text.</span> Paragraphs are usually represented in visual media as blocks of text that are separated from adjacent blocks by vertical blank space and/or first-line indentation. The paragraph must be closed at end of the text <strong>"&lt;p&gt; text&nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;"</strong> are requried to put the text between the paragraph.&nbsp;Paragraphs are <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Block-level_elements">block-level elements</a>.</p>

<table class="properties">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row"><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Content_categories">Content categories</a></th>
   <td><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Content_categories#Flow_content">Flow content</a>, palpable content.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Permitted content</th>
   <td><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Content_categories#Phrasing_content">Phrasing content</a>.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Tag omission</th>
   <td>The start tag is mandatory. The end tag may be omitted if the {{HTMLElement("p")}} element is immediately followed by an {{HTMLElement("address")}}, {{HTMLElement("article")}}, {{HTMLElement("aside")}}, {{HTMLElement("blockquote")}}, {{HTMLElement("div")}}, {{HTMLElement("dl")}}, {{HTMLElement("fieldset")}}, {{HTMLElement("footer")}}, {{HTMLElement("form")}}, {{HTMLElement("h1")}}, {{HTMLElement("h2")}}, {{HTMLElement("h3")}}, {{HTMLElement("h4")}}, {{HTMLElement("h5")}}, {{HTMLElement("h6")}}, {{HTMLElement("header")}}, {{HTMLElement("hr")}}, {{HTMLElement("menu")}}, {{HTMLElement("nav")}}, {{HTMLElement("ol")}}, {{HTMLElement("pre")}}, {{HTMLElement("section")}}, {{HTMLElement("table")}}, {{HTMLElement("ul")}} or another {{HTMLElement("p")}} element, or if there is no more content in the parent element and the parent element is not an {{HTMLElement("a")}} element.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Permitted parent elements</th>
   <td>Any element that accepts <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Content_categories#Flow_content">flow content</a>.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">DOM interface</th>
   <td>{{domxref("HTMLParagraphElement")}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Attributes">Attributes</h2>

<p>This element includes the <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Global_attributes">global attributes</a>.</p>

<p>The <code>align</code> attribute on <code>&lt;p&gt;</code> is obsolete. Do not use it.</p>

<h2 id="Example">Example</h2>

<pre class="brush: html">
&lt;p&gt;This is the first paragraph of text. This is the first paragraph of text.
  This is the first paragraph of text. This is the first paragraph of text.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This is second paragraph of text. This is second paragraph of text.
   This is second paragraph of text. This is second paragraph of text.&lt;/p&gt;
</pre>

<p>This produces:</p>

<p>{{EmbedLiveSample('Example')}}</p>

<h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2>

<p>To change gaps between paragraphs, use the <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/CSS">CSS</a> {{cssxref("margin")}} property. <strong>Do not</strong> insert empty paragraphs elements or {{HTMLElement("br")}} between them.</p>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML WHATWG', 'grouping-content.html#the-p-element', '&lt;p&gt;')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML WHATWG')}}</td>
   <td>No change since the latest W3C snapshot {{SpecName("HTML5 W3C")}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML5 W3C', 'grouping-content.html#the-p-element', '&lt;p&gt;')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML5 W3C')}}</td>
   <td><code>align</code> attribute is obsolete</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML4.01', 'struct/text.html#h-9.3.1', '&lt;p&gt;')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML4.01')}}</td>
   <td>Initial definition</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<div>{{CompatibilityTable}}</div>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari (WebKit)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>1.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("1.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Phone</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("1.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li>{{HTMLElement("hr")}}</li>
 <li>{{HTMLElement("br")}}</li>
</ul>