The HTML <header> element represents introductory content, typically a group of introductory or navigational aids. It may contain some heading elements but also other elements like a logo, a search form, an author name, and so on.
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| Content categories | Flow content, palpable content. |
|---|---|
| Permitted content | Flow content, but with no <header> or <footer> descendant. |
| Tag omission | None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory. |
| Permitted parents | Any element that accepts flow content. Note that a <header> element must not be a descendant of an <address>, <footer> or another <header> element. |
| Permitted ARIA roles | group, presentation |
| DOM interface | HTMLElement |
Usage notes
The <header> element is not sectioning content and therefore does not introduce a new section in the outline. That said, a <header> element is intended to usually contain the surrounding section's heading (an h1–h6 element), but this is not required.
Attributes
This element only includes the global attributes.
Examples
Page Header
<header> <h1>Main Page Title</h1> <img src="mdn-logo-sm.png" alt="MDN logo"> </header>
Main Page Title
Article Header
<article> <header> <h2>The Planet Earth</h2> <p>Posted on Wednesday, 4 October 2017 by Jane Smith</p> </header> <p>We live on a planet that's blue and green, with so many things still unseen.</p> <p><a href="https://janesmith.com/the-planet-earth/">Continue reading....</a></p> </article>
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| HTML Living Standard The definition of '<header>' in that specification. |
Living Standard | |
| HTML5 The definition of '<header>' in that specification. |
Recommendation |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 5 | Yes | 4 | 9 | 11.1 | 4.1 |
| Feature | Android webview | Chrome for Android | Edge mobile | Firefox for Android | Opera Android | iOS Safari | Samsung Internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 | 11 | 4.2 | Yes |