HTML Reference with Browser Support | All Tags & Attributes

Complete HTML reference with browser support for all tags and attributes. Learn which HTML elements work in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

HTML Reference with Browser Support (Complete Guide)

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the backbone of every website. While HTML itself is standardized, browser support for HTML elements and their attributes can vary, especially for newer features.
This guide explains HTML elements, their attributes, and browser compatibility so developers can build stable, cross-browser websites.

Why Browser Support Matters in HTML

Not all browsers interpret HTML features at the same time or in the same way.

Understanding browser support helps you:

• Avoid broken layouts
• Prevent non-working forms or media
• Build future-proof websites
• Improve accessibility and SEO
• Choose safe fallbacks

Browsers covered in this reference

• Chrome
• Edge
• Firefox
• Safari
• Opera

How to Read Browser Support Tables

Anchor and Text-Level Elements

<a> – Anchor (Hyperlink)

Supported by all major browsers.

Key attributes

• href, target, rel, type, hreflang → Universal support
• download → Supported in modern browsers
• ping → Limited support
• referrerpolicy → Supported in newer browser versions

Best practice
Always include rel="noopener noreferrer" when using target="_blank".

<abbr> – Abbreviation

• Fully supported in all browsers
• Improves accessibility and SEO

<address> – Contact Information

• Universal support
• Used for author or owner details

Image Mapping and Media Links

<area> – Image Map Area

• Supported across browsers
• Attributes like coords, shape, href, alt work everywhere
• referrerpolicy requires newer browser versions

HTML5 Structural Elements

These elements improve readability and SEO.

Tip
Always use these elements instead of generic <div> for semantic clarity.

Multimedia Elements

<audio>

Supported in all modern browsers.

Attributes

• autoplay, controls, loop, src → Widely supported
• muted → Older Safari versions had limitations

<video>

Fully supported.

Common attributes

• controls, autoplay, poster, loop
• muted needed for autoplay on mobile

<source> and <track>

• Used with <audio> and <video>
• Subtitles and captions (track) supported from mid-versions

Graphics and Interactive Content

<canvas>

• Supported in all modern browsers
• Used for games, charts, and drawings

<svg>

• Supported across all modern browsers
• Ideal for scalable graphics

<dialog>

• Partial support
• Not enabled by default in some Firefox versions

Recommendation
Use polyfills for consistent behavior.

Forms and Input Elements

<form>

Fully supported with attributes like:

• action, method, target
• autocomplete, novalidate

<input>

One of the most complex elements.

Key attributes with varying support

• placeholder, required, pattern → Well supported
• minlength → Newer browsers only
• list → Not supported in older Safari
• dirname → Limited Firefox support

<textarea>

• Fully supported
• autocomplete has limited browser support

<select>, <option>, <optgroup>

• Well supported
• Minor attribute inconsistencies across browsers

Tables and Data Display

Attributes like rowspan, colspan, and scope are universally supported.

Text Formatting Elements

These elements are safe to use everywhere:

• <b>, <strong>
• <i>, <em>
• <small>, <mark>
• <sub>, <sup>
• <code>, <kbd>, <samp>, <var>

Script and Metadata Elements

<script>

• Universally supported

Advanced attributes

• async, defer → Fully supported
• nomodule → Modern browsers only
• integrity → Supported in newer versions

<meta>

• Universal support
• Critical for SEO and responsiveness

<link>

• Widely supported
• sizes attribute is not supported in most browsers

Accessibility and Internationalization

<time>

• Supported in modern browsers
• Useful for machine-readable dates

<ruby>, <rt>, <rp>

• Designed for East Asian text
• Supported in modern browsers

<wbr>

• Fully supported
• Helps control word wrapping

Deprecated and Limited Support Elements

Avoid these:

• <acronym> (use <abbr>)
• <big> (use CSS)
• <applet> (use <embed> or <object>)

Best Practices for Cross-Browser HTML

1. Prefer semantic HTML5 elements
2. Check support before using new attributes
3. Use feature detection, not browser detection
4. Provide fallbacks for media and dialogs
5. Test on real devices, not just emulators
6. Combine HTML with CSS and JavaScript polyfills where needed

Conclusion

This HTML Reference with Browser Support helps you:

• Choose safe HTML elements
• Avoid unsupported attributes
• Build consistent user experiences
• Write cleaner, future-ready code

Whether you are a beginner, blogger, or professional developer, understanding browser compatibility is essential for creating reliable websites.