<head>: The Document Metadata (Header) element

The HTML <head> element contains machine-readable information (metadata) about the document, like its title, scripts, and style sheets.

Note: <head> primarily holds information for machine processing, not human-readability. For human-visible information, like top-level headings and listed authors, see the <header> element.

Content categories None.
Permitted content

If the document is an <iframe> srcdoc document, or if title information is available from a higher level protocol (like the subject line in HTML email), zero or more elements of metadata content.

Otherwise, one or more elements of metadata content where exactly one is a <title> element.
Tag omission The start tag may be omitted if the first thing inside the <head> element is an element.
The end tag may be omitted if the first thing following the <head> element is not a space character or a comment.
Permitted parents An <html> element, as its first child.
Permitted ARIA roles None
DOM interface HTMLHeadElement

Attributes

This element includes the global attributes.

profile
The URIs of one or more metadata profiles, separated by white space.

Example

<!doctype html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Document title</title>
  </head>
</html>

Notes

HTML5-compliant browsers automatically create a <head> element if its tags are omitted in the markup. This auto-creation is not guaranteed in ancient browsers.

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
HTML Living Standard
The definition of '<head>' in that specification.		 Living Standard No change from latest shapshot
HTML5
The definition of '<head>' in that specification.		 Recommendation Obsoleted profile
HTML 4.01 Specification
The definition of '<head>' in that specification.		 Recommendation  

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub
DesktopMobile
ChromeEdgeFirefoxInternet ExplorerOperaSafariAndroid webviewChrome for AndroidFirefox for AndroidOpera for AndroidSafari on iOSSamsung Internet
headChrome Full support 1Edge Full support YesFirefox Full support 1IE Full support YesOpera Full support YesSafari Full support YesWebView Android Full support YesChrome Android Full support YesFirefox Android Full support 4Opera Android Full support YesSafari iOS Full support YesSamsung Internet Android Full support Yes
profile
DeprecatedNon-standard
Chrome Full support 1Edge Full support YesFirefox Full support 1IE Full support YesOpera Full support YesSafari Full support YesWebView Android Full support YesChrome Android Full support YesFirefox Android Full support 4Opera Android Full support YesSafari iOS Full support YesSamsung Internet Android Full support Yes

Legend

Full support  
Full support
Non-standard. Expect poor cross-browser support.
Non-standard. Expect poor cross-browser support.
Deprecated. Not for use in new websites.
Deprecated. Not for use in new websites.

See also

Last modified:

, by MDN contributors
Related Topics
  1. <base>
  2. <head>
  3. <link>
  4. <meta>
  5. <style>
  6. <title>
  7. HTML Elements
    1. A
      1. <a>
      2. <abbr>
      3. <acronym>
      4. <address>
      5. <applet>
      6. <area>
      7. <article>
      8. <aside>
      9. <audio>
    2. B
      1. <b>
      2. <base>
      3. <basefont>
      4. <bdi>
      5. <bdo>
      6. <bgsound>
      7. <big>
      8. <blink>
      9. <blockquote>
      10. <body>
      11. <br>
      12. <button>
    3. C
      1. <canvas>
      2. <caption>
      3. <center>
      4. <cite>
      5. <code>
      6. <col>
      7. <colgroup>
      8. <content>
    4. D
      1. <data>
      2. <datalist>
      3. <dd>
      4. <del>
      5. <details>
      6. <dfn>
      7. <dialog>
      8. <dir>
      9. <div>
      10. <dl>
      11. <dt>
    5. E
      1. <em>
      2. <embed>
    6. F
      1. <fieldset>
      2. <figcaption>
      3. <figure>
      4. <font>
      5. <footer>
      6. <form>
      7. <frame>
      8. <frameset>
    7. G H
      1. <h1>
      2. <h2>
      3. <h3>
      4. <h4>
      5. <h5>
      6. <h6>
      7. <head>
      8. <header>
      9. <hgroup>
      10. <hr>
      11. <html>
    8. I
      1. <i>
      2. <iframe>
      3. <img>
      4. <input>
      5. <ins>
      6. <isindex>
    9. J K
      1. <kbd>
      2. <keygen>
    10. L
      1. <label>
      2. <legend>
      3. <li>
      4. <link>
      5. <listing>
    11. M
      1. <main>
      2. <map>
      3. <mark>
      4. <marquee>
      5. <menu>
      6. <menuitem>
      7. <meta>
      8. <meter>
    12. N
      1. <nav>
      2. <nobr>
      3. <noframes>
      4. <noscript>
    13. O
      1. <object>
      2. <ol>
      3. <optgroup>
      4. <option>
      5. <output>
    14. P
      1. <p>
      2. <param>
      3. <picture>
      4. <plaintext>
      5. <pre>
      6. <progress>
    15. Q
      1. <q>
    16. R
      1. <rp>
      2. <rt>
      3. <rtc>
      4. <ruby>
    17. S
      1. <s>
      2. <samp>
      3. <script>
      4. <section>
      5. <select>
      6. <shadow>
      7. <slot>
      8. <small>
      9. <source>
      10. <spacer>
      11. <span>
      12. <strike>
      13. <strong>
      14. <style>
      15. <sub>
      16. <summary>
      17. <sup>
    18. T
      1. <table>
      2. <tbody>
      3. <td>
      4. <template>
      5. <textarea>
      6. <tfoot>
      7. <th>
      8. <thead>
      9. <time>
      10. <title>
      11. <tr>
      12. <track>
      13. <tt>
    19. U
      1. <u>
      2. <ul>
    20. V
      1. <var>
      2. <video>
    21. W
      1. <wbr>
    22. X Y Z
      1. <xmp>