<dialog>: The Dialog element

The HTML <dialog> element represents a dialog box or other interactive component, such as an inspector or window.

Attributes

This element includes the global attributes. The tabindex attribute must not be used on the <dialog> element.

open

Indicates that the dialog is active and available for interaction. When the open attribute is not set, the dialog shouldn't be shown to the user.

Usage notes

• <form> elements can be integrated within a dialog by specifying them with the attribute method="dialog". When such a form is submitted, the dialog is closed with its returnValue attribute set to the value of the form's submit button that was used.
• The ::backdrop CSS pseudo-element can be used to style behind a <dialog> element, for example to dim inaccessible content whilst a modal dialog is active. The backdrop is only drawn when the dialog element is displayed with HTMLDialogElement.showModal().

Examples

Simple example

<dialog open>
  <p>Greetings, one and all!</p>
</dialog>

Advanced example

This example opens a pop-up dialog box containing a form when the "Update details" button is clicked.

HTML

<!-- Simple pop-up dialog box containing a form -->
<dialog id="favDialog">
  <form method="dialog">
    <p><label>Favorite animal:
      <select>
        <option></option>
        <option>Brine shrimp</option>
        <option>Red panda</option>
        <option>Spider monkey</option>
      </select>
    </label></p>
    <menu>
      <button value="cancel">Cancel</button>
      <button id="confirmBtn" value="default">Confirm</button>
    </menu>
  </form>
</dialog>

<menu>
  <button id="updateDetails">Update details</button>
</menu>

<output aria-live="polite"></output>

JavaScript

(function() {
  var updateButton = document.getElementById('updateDetails');
  var favDialog = document.getElementById('favDialog');
  var outputBox = document.getElementsByTagName('output')[0];
  var selectEl = document.getElementsByTagName('select')[0];
  var confirmBtn = document.getElementById('confirmBtn');

  // “Update details” button opens the <dialog> modally
  updateButton.addEventListener('click', function onOpen() {
    if (typeof favDialog.showModal === "function") {
      favDialog.showModal();
    } else {
      alert("The dialog API is not supported by this browser");
    }
  });
  // "Favorite animal" input sets the value of the submit button
  selectEl.addEventListener('change', function onSelect(e) {
    confirmBtn.value = selectEl.value;
  });
  // "Confirm" button of form triggers "close" on dialog because of [method="dialog"]
  favDialog.addEventListener('close', function onClose() {
    outputBox.value = favDialog.returnValue + " button clicked - " + (new Date()).toString();
  });
})();

Result

Which button was clicked can be determined from favDialog’s returnValue.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

Polyfills

Include this polyfill to provide support for older browsers.  

dialog-polyfill

See also

• The close event
• The cancel event
• HTML forms guide.
• The ::backdrop pseudo-element