<figure>: The Figure with Optional Caption element

The <figure> HTML element represents self-contained content, potentially with an optional caption, which is specified using the <figcaption> element. The figure, its caption, and its contents are referenced as a single unit.

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Attributes

This element only includes the global attributes.

Usage notes

  • Usually a <figure> is an image, illustration, diagram, code snippet, etc., that is referenced in the main flow of a document, but that can be moved to another part of the document or to an appendix without affecting the main flow.
  • A caption can be associated with the <figure> element by inserting a <figcaption> inside it (as the first or the last child). The first <figcaption> element found in the figure is presented as the figure's caption.

Examples

Images

<!-- Just an image -->
<figure>
  <img src="favicon-192x192.png" alt="The beautiful MDN logo." />
</figure>

<!-- Image with a caption -->
<figure>
  <img src="favicon-192x192.png" alt="The beautiful MDN logo." />
  <figcaption>MDN Logo</figcaption>
</figure>

Result

Code snippets

<figure>
  <figcaption>Get browser details using <code>navigator</code>.</figcaption>
  <pre>
function NavigatorExample() {
  var txt;
  txt = "Browser CodeName: " + navigator.appCodeName + "; ";
  txt+= "Browser Name: " + navigator.appName + "; ";
  txt+= "Browser Version: " + navigator.appVersion  + "; ";
  txt+= "Cookies Enabled: " + navigator.cookieEnabled  + "; ";
  txt+= "Platform: " + navigator.platform  + "; ";
  txt+= "User-agent header: " + navigator.userAgent  + "; ";
  console.log("NavigatorExample", txt);
}
  </pre>
</figure>

Result

Quotations

<figure>
  <figcaption><b>Edsger Dijkstra:</b></figcaption>
  <blockquote>
    If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must
    be the process of putting them in.
  </blockquote>
</figure>

Result

Poems

<figure>
  <p style="white-space:pre">
    Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear,
    Or like a fairy trip upon the green,
    Or, like a nymph, with long dishevelled hair,
    Dance on the sands, and yet no footing seen:
    Love is a spirit all compact of fire,
    Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.
  </p>
  <figcaption><cite>Venus and Adonis</cite>, by William Shakespeare</figcaption>
</figure>

Result

Technical summary

Content categories Flow content, palpable content.
Permitted content A <figcaption> element, followed by flow content; or flow content followed by a <figcaption> element; or flow content.
Tag omission None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory.
Permitted parents Any element that accepts Flow content.
Implicit ARIA role figure
Permitted ARIA roles With no figcaption descendant: any, otherwise no permitted roles
DOM interface HTMLElement

Specifications

Specification
HTML Standard
# the-figure-element

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also