Introduced in HTML5
Summary
The HTML Section Element (<section>) represents a generic section of a document, i.e., a thematic grouping of content, typically with a heading. Each <section> should be identified, typically by including a heading (h1-h6 element) as a child of the <section> element.
Usage notes :
- If it makes sense to separately syndicate the content of a
<section>element, use an<article>element instead. - Do not use the
<section>element as a generic container; this is what<div>is for, especially when the sectioning is only for styling purposes. A rule of thumb is that a section should logically appear in the outline of a document.
- Content categories Flow content, Sectioning content, palpable content.
- Permitted content Flow content.
- Tag omission None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory.
- Permitted parent elements Any element that accepts flow content. Note that a
<section>element must not be a descendant of an<address>element. - DOM interface
HTMLElement
Attributes
This element only includes the global attributes.
Examples
<section> <h1>Heading</h1> <p>Bunch of awesome content</p> </section>
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| WHATWG HTML Living Standard The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Living Standard | |
| HTML5.1 (draft) The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Working Draft | |
| HTML5 The definition of '<section>' in that specification. |
Candidate Recommendation |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 5 | 4.0 (2.0) | 9.0 | 11.10 | 4.1 |
| Feature | Android | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Mobile | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 2.2 | 4.0 (2.0) | 9.0 | 11.0 | 5.0 (iOS 4.2) |
See also
- Other section-related elements:
<body>,<nav>,<article>,<aside>,<h1>,<h2>,<h3>,<h4>,<h5>,<h6>,<hgroup>,<header>,<footer>,<address>; - Sections and outlines of an HTML5 document.