title (attribute)

The title global attribute contains text representing advisory information, related to the element it belongs to.

Some typical uses:

• Labeling <iframe> elements
• Providing an inline programmatically associated label for an <input> element
• Labeling controls in data tables

If this attribute is omitted, it means that the title of the nearest ancestor of this element is still relevant (and could be used as the tooltip for that element). If this attribute is set to the empty string, it explicitly means its nearest ancestor's title is not relevant (and shouldn't be used in the tooltip for this element).

Additional semantics are attached to the title attributes of the <link>, <abbr>, <input> and <menuitem> elements.

The title attribute may contain several lines. Each U+000A LINE FEED (LF) inserted represents such a newline. Some caution must be taken, as this means:

<p>Newlines in title should be taken into account, like this <abbr title="This is a
multiline title">example</abbr>.</p>

This example defines a two-line title.

Accessibility concerns

Use of the title attribute is highly problematic for:

• People using touch-only devices
• People navigating with keyboards
• People navigating with the aid of assistive technology such as screen readers or magnifiers
• People experiencing fine motor control impairments
• People with cognitive concerns.

This is mainly due to inconsistent browser support, compounded by the additional complication introduced by assistive technology's parsing of the browser-rendered page. If a tooltip effect is desired, it is better to use a technique that can be accessed with these browsing methods.

• 3.2.5.1. The title attribute | W3C HTML 5.2: 3. Semantics, structure, and APIs of HTML documents
• Using the HTML title attribute – updated | The Paciello Group
• Tooltips & Toggletips - Inclusive Components
• The Trials and Tribulations of the Title Attribute - 24 Accessibility

Specifications

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub

See also

• All global attributes.
• HTMLElement.title that reflects this attribute.