<!doctype html>
<html lang="en-US-x-Hixie"><meta content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 (experimental) for Linux/x86 http://github.com/w3c/tidy-html5/tree/c63cc39" name="generator"><meta charset="utf-8"><title>4.2.1 The head element — HTML5</title><link href="style.css" rel="stylesheet"><style type="text/css">
/**/
/**/
.applies thead th > * { display: block; }
.applies thead code { display: block; }
.applies tbody th { white-space: nowrap; }
.applies td { text-align: center; }
.applies .yes { background: yellow; }
.matrix, .matrix td { border: hidden; text-align: right; }
.matrix { margin-left: 2em; }
.dice-example { border-collapse: collapse; border-style: hidden solid solid hidden; border-width: thin; margin-left: 3em; }
.dice-example caption { width: 30em; font-size: smaller; font-style: italic; padding: 0.75em 0; text-align: left; }
.dice-example td, .dice-example th { border: solid thin; width: 1.35em; height: 1.05em; text-align: center; padding: 0; }
td.eg { border-width: thin; text-align: center; }
#table-example-1 { border: solid thin; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 3em; }
#table-example-1 * { font-family: "Essays1743", serif; line-height: 1.01em; }
#table-example-1 caption { padding-bottom: 0.5em; }
#table-example-1 thead, #table-example-1 tbody { border: none; }
#table-example-1 th, #table-example-1 td { border: solid thin; }
#table-example-1 th { font-weight: normal; }
#table-example-1 td { border-style: none solid; vertical-align: top; }
#table-example-1 th { padding: 0.5em; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; }
#table-example-1 tbody tr:first-child td { padding-top: 0.5em; }
#table-example-1 tbody tr:last-child td { padding-bottom: 1.5em; }
#table-example-1 tbody td:first-child { padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 0; width: 9em; }
#table-example-1 tbody td:first-child::after { content: leader(". "); }
#table-example-1 tbody td { padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; }
#table-example-1 tbody td:first-child + td { width: 10em; }
#table-example-1 tbody td:first-child + td ~ td { width: 2.5em; }
#table-example-1 tbody td:first-child + td + td + td ~ td { width: 1.25em; }
.apple-table-examples { border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 1.5em 0em; width: 40em; margin-left: 3em; }
.apple-table-examples * { font-family: "Times", serif; }
.apple-table-examples td, .apple-table-examples th { border: none; white-space: nowrap; padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0; }
.apple-table-examples tbody th:first-child { border-left: none; width: 100%; }
.apple-table-examples thead th:first-child ~ th { font-size: smaller; font-weight: bolder; border-bottom: solid 2px; text-align: center; }
.apple-table-examples tbody th::after, .apple-table-examples tfoot th::after { content: leader(". ") }
.apple-table-examples tbody th, .apple-table-examples tfoot th { font: inherit; text-align: left; }
.apple-table-examples td { text-align: right; vertical-align: top; }
.apple-table-examples.e1 tbody tr:last-child td { border-bottom: solid 1px; }
.apple-table-examples.e1 tbody + tbody tr:last-child td { border-bottom: double 3px; }
.apple-table-examples.e2 th[scope=row] { padding-left: 1em; }
.apple-table-examples sup { line-height: 0; }
.details-example img { vertical-align: top; }
#base64-table {
white-space: nowrap;
font-size: 0.6em;
column-width: 6em;
column-count: 5;
column-gap: 1em;
-moz-column-width: 6em;
-moz-column-count: 5;
-moz-column-gap: 1em;
-webkit-column-width: 6em;
-webkit-column-count: 5;
-webkit-column-gap: 1em;
}
#base64-table thead { display: none; }
#base64-table * { border: none; }
#base64-table tbody td:first-child:after { content: ':'; }
#base64-table tbody td:last-child { text-align: right; }
#named-character-references-table {
white-space: nowrap;
font-size: 0.6em;
column-width: 30em;
column-gap: 1em;
-moz-column-width: 30em;
-moz-column-gap: 1em;
-webkit-column-width: 30em;
-webkit-column-gap: 1em;
}
#named-character-references-table > table > tbody > tr > td:first-child + td,
#named-character-references-table > table > tbody > tr > td:last-child { text-align: center; }
#named-character-references-table > table > tbody > tr > td:last-child:hover > span { position: absolute; top: auto; left: auto; margin-left: 0.5em; line-height: 1.2; font-size: 5em; border: outset; padding: 0.25em 0.5em; background: white; width: 1.25em; height: auto; text-align: center; }
#named-character-references-table > table > tbody > tr#entity-CounterClockwiseContourIntegral > td:first-child { font-size: 0.5em; }
.glyph.control { color: red; }
@font-face {
font-family: 'Essays1743';
src: url('fonts/Essays1743.ttf');
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'Essays1743';
font-weight: bold;
src: url('fonts/Essays1743-Bold.ttf');
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'Essays1743';
font-style: italic;
src: url('fonts/Essays1743-Italic.ttf');
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'Essays1743';
font-style: italic;
font-weight: bold;
src: url('fonts/Essays1743-BoldItalic.ttf');
}
/**/
/**/
</style><link href="data:text/css," id="complete" rel="stylesheet" title="Complete specification"><link href="data:text/css,.impl%20{%20display:%20none;%20}%0Ahtml%20{%20border:%20solid%20yellow;%20}%20.domintro:before%20{%20display:%20none;%20}" id="author" rel="alternate stylesheet" title="Author documentation only"><link href="data:text/css,.impl%20{%20background:%20%23FFEEEE;%20}%20.domintro:before%20{%20background:%20%23FFEEEE;%20}" id="highlight" rel="alternate stylesheet" title="Highlight implementation requirements"><style type="text/css">
/**/
/**/
pre { margin-left: 2em; white-space: pre-wrap; }
h2 { margin: 3em 0 1em 0; }
h3 { margin: 2.5em 0 1em 0; }
h4 { margin: 2.5em 0 0.75em 0; }
h5, h6 { margin: 2.5em 0 1em; }
h1 + h2, h1 + h2 + h2 { margin: 0.75em 0 0.75em; }
h2 + h3, h3 + h4, h4 + h5, h5 + h6 { margin-top: 0.5em; }
p { margin: 1em 0; }
hr:not(.top) { display: block; background: none; border: none; padding: 0; margin: 2em 0; height: auto; }
dl, dd { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; }
dt { margin-top: 0.75em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; clear: left; }
dt + dt { margin-top: 0; }
dd dt { margin-top: 0.25em; margin-bottom: 0; }
dd p { margin-top: 0; }
dd dl + p { margin-top: 1em; }
dd table + p { margin-top: 1em; }
p + * > li, dd li { margin: 1em 0; }
dt, dfn { font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; }
i, em { font-style: italic; }
dt dfn { font-style: italic; }
pre, code { font-size: inherit; font-family: monospace; font-variant: normal; }
pre strong { color: black; font: inherit; font-weight: bold; background: yellow; }
pre em { font-weight: bolder; font-style: normal; }
@media screen { code { color: orangered; } code :link, code :visited { color: inherit; } }
var sub { vertical-align: bottom; font-size: smaller; position: relative; top: 0.1em; }
table { border-collapse: collapse; border-style: hidden hidden none hidden; }
table thead, table tbody { border-bottom: solid; }
table tbody th:first-child { border-left: solid; }
table tbody th { text-align: left; }
table td, table th { border-left: solid; border-right: solid; border-bottom: solid thin; vertical-align: top; padding: 0.2em; }
blockquote { margin: 0 0 0 2em; border: 0; padding: 0; font-style: italic; }
.bad, .bad *:not(.XXX) { color: gray; border-color: gray; background: transparent; }
.matrix, .matrix td { border: none; text-align: right; }
.matrix { margin-left: 2em; }
.dice-example { border-collapse: collapse; border-style: hidden solid solid hidden; border-width: thin; margin-left: 3em; }
.dice-example caption { width: 30em; font-size: smaller; font-style: italic; padding: 0.75em 0; text-align: left; }
.dice-example td, .dice-example th { border: solid thin; width: 1.35em; height: 1.05em; text-align: center; padding: 0; }
.toc dfn, h1 dfn, h2 dfn, h3 dfn, h4 dfn, h5 dfn, h6 dfn { font: inherit; }
img.extra, p.overview { float: right; }
pre.idl { border: solid thin; background: #EEEEEE; color: black; padding: 0.5em 1em; position: relative; }
pre.idl :link, pre.idl :visited { color: inherit; background: transparent; }
pre.idl::before { content: "IDL"; font: bold small sans-serif; padding: 0.5em; background: white; position: absolute; top: 0; margin: -1px 0 0 -4em; width: 1.5em; border: thin solid; border-radius: 0 0 0 0.5em }
pre.css { border: solid thin; background: #FFFFEE; color: black; padding: 0.5em 1em; }
pre.css:first-line { color: #AAAA50; }
dl.domintro { color: green; margin: 2em 0 2em 2em; padding: 0.5em 1em; border: none; background: #DDFFDD; }
hr + dl.domintro, div.impl + dl.domintro { margin-top: 2.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; }
dl.domintro dt, dl.domintro dt * { color: black; text-decoration: none; }
dl.domintro dd { margin: 0.5em 0 1em 2em; padding: 0; }
dl.domintro dd p { margin: 0.5em 0; }
dl.domintro:before { display: table; margin: -1em -0.5em -0.5em auto; width: auto; content: 'This box is non-normative. Implementation requirements are given below this box.'; color: black; font-style: italic; border: solid 2px; background: white; padding: 0 0.25em; }
dl.switch { padding-left: 2em; }
dl.switch > dt { text-indent: -1.5em; }
dl.switch > dt:before { content: '\21AA'; padding: 0 0.5em 0 0; display: inline-block; width: 1em; text-align: right; line-height: 0.5em; }
dl.triple { padding: 0 0 0 1em; }
dl.triple dt, dl.triple dd { margin: 0; display: inline }
dl.triple dt:after { content: ':'; }
dl.triple dd:after { content: '\A'; white-space: pre; }
.diff-old { text-decoration: line-through; color: silver; background: transparent; }
.diff-chg, .diff-new { text-decoration: underline; color: green; background: transparent; }
a .diff-new { border-bottom: 1px blue solid; }
figure.diagrams { border: double black; background: white; padding: 1em; }
figure.diagrams img { display: block; margin: 1em auto; }
h2 { page-break-before: always; }
h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 { page-break-after: avoid; }
h1 + h2, hr + h2.no-toc { page-break-before: auto; }
p > span:not([title=""]):not([class="XXX"]):not([class="impl"]):not([class="note"]),
li > span:not([title=""]):not([class="XXX"]):not([class="impl"]):not([class="note"]) { border-bottom: solid #9999CC; }
div.head { margin: 0 0 1em; padding: 1em 0 0 0; }
div.head p { margin: 0; }
div.head h1 { margin: 0; }
div.head .logo { float: right; margin: 0 1em; }
div.head .logo img { border: none } /* remove border from top image */
div.head dl { margin: 1em 0; }
div.head p.copyright, div.head p.alt { font-size: x-small; font-style: oblique; margin: 0; }
body > .toc > li { margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; }
body > .toc.brief > li { margin-top: 0.35em; margin-bottom: 0.35em; }
body > .toc > li > * { margin-bottom: 0.5em; }
body > .toc > li > * > li > * { margin-bottom: 0.25em; }
.toc, .toc li { list-style: none; }
.brief { margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.1; }
.brief li { margin: 0; padding: 0; }
.brief li p { margin: 0; padding: 0; }
.category-list { margin-top: -0.75em; margin-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5; }
.category-list::before { content: '\21D2\A0'; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 900; }
.category-list li { display: inline; }
.category-list li:not(:last-child)::after { content: ', '; }
.category-list li > span, .category-list li > a { text-transform: lowercase; }
.category-list li * { text-transform: none; } /* don't */
.XXX { color: #E50000; background: white; border: solid red; padding: 0.5em; margin: 1em 0; }
.XXX > :first-child { margin-top: 0; }
p .XXX { line-height: 3em; }
.annotation { border: solid thin black; background: #0C479D; color: white; position: relative; margin: 8px 0 20px 0; }
.annotation:before { position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 6px -6px -6px 6px; background: #333333; z-index: -1; content: ''; }
.annotation :link, .annotation :visited { color: inherit; }
.annotation :link:hover, .annotation :visited:hover { background: transparent; }
.annotation span { border: none ! important; }
.note { color: green; background: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; }
.warning { color: red; background: transparent; }
.note, .warning { font-weight: bolder; font-style: italic; }
.note em, .warning em, .note i, .warning i { font-style: normal; }
p.note, div.note { padding: 0.5em 2em; }
span.note { padding: 0 2em; }
.note p:first-child, .warning p:first-child { margin-top: 0; }
.note p:last-child, .warning p:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }
.warning:before { font-style: normal; }
p.note:before { content: 'Note: '; }
p.warning:before { content: '\26A0 Warning! '; }
.bookkeeping:before { display: block; content: 'Bookkeeping details'; font-weight: bolder; font-style: italic; }
.bookkeeping { font-size: 0.8em; margin: 2em 0; }
.bookkeeping p { margin: 0.5em 2em; display: list-item; list-style: square; }
.bookkeeping dt { margin: 0.5em 2em 0; }
.bookkeeping dd { margin: 0 3em 0.5em; }
h4 { position: relative; z-index: 3; }
h4 + .element, h4 + div + .element { margin-top: -2.5em; padding-top: 2em; }
.element {
background: #EEEEFF;
color: black;
margin: 0 0 1em 0.15em;
padding: 0 1em 0.25em 0.75em;
border-left: solid #9999FF 0.25em;
position: relative;
z-index: 1;
}
.element:before {
position: absolute;
z-index: 2;
top: 0;
left: -1.15em;
height: 2em;
width: 0.9em;
background: #EEEEFF;
content: ' ';
border-style: none none solid solid;
border-color: #9999FF;
border-width: 0.25em;
}
.example { display: block; color: #222222; background: #FCFCFC; border-left: double; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 1em; }
td > .example:only-child { margin: 0 0 0 0.1em; }
ul.domTree, ul.domTree ul { padding: 0 0 0 1em; margin: 0; }
ul.domTree li { padding: 0; margin: 0; list-style: none; position: relative; }
ul.domTree li li { list-style: none; }
ul.domTree li:first-child::before { position: absolute; top: 0; height: 0.6em; left: -0.75em; width: 0.5em; border-style: none none solid solid; content: ''; border-width: 0.1em; }
ul.domTree li:not(:last-child)::after { position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: -0.6em; left: -0.75em; width: 0.5em; border-style: none none solid solid; content: ''; border-width: 0.1em; }
ul.domTree span { font-style: italic; font-family: serif; }
ul.domTree .t1 code { color: purple; font-weight: bold; }
ul.domTree .t2 { font-style: normal; font-family: monospace; }
ul.domTree .t2 .name { color: black; font-weight: bold; }
ul.domTree .t2 .value { color: blue; font-weight: normal; }
ul.domTree .t3 code, .domTree .t4 code, .domTree .t5 code { color: gray; }
ul.domTree .t7 code, .domTree .t8 code { color: green; }
ul.domTree .t10 code { color: teal; }
body.dfnEnabled dfn { cursor: pointer; }
.dfnPanel {
display: inline;
position: absolute;
z-index: 10;
height: auto;
width: auto;
padding: 0.5em 0.75em;
font: small sans-serif, Droid Sans Fallback;
background: #DDDDDD;
color: black;
border: outset 0.2em;
}
.dfnPanel * { margin: 0; padding: 0; font: inherit; text-indent: 0; }
.dfnPanel :link, .dfnPanel :visited { color: black; }
.dfnPanel p { font-weight: bolder; }
.dfnPanel * + p { margin-top: 0.25em; }
.dfnPanel li { list-style-position: inside; }
#configUI { position: absolute; z-index: 20; top: 10em; right: 1em; width: 11em; font-size: small; }
#configUI p { margin: 0.5em 0; padding: 0.3em; background: #EEEEEE; color: black; border: inset thin; }
#configUI p label { display: block; }
#configUI #updateUI, #configUI .loginUI { text-align: center; }
#configUI input[type=button] { display: block; margin: auto; }
fieldset { margin: 1em; padding: 0.5em 1em; }
fieldset > legend + * { margin-top: 0; }
fieldset > :last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }
fieldset p { margin: 0.5em 0; }
.stability {
position: fixed;
bottom: 0;
left: 0; right: 0;
margin: 0 auto 0 auto;
width: 50%;
background: maroon; color: yellow;
-webkit-border-radius: 1em 1em 0 0;
-moz-border-radius: 1em 1em 0 0;
border-radius: 1em 1em 0 0;
-moz-box-shadow: 0 0 1em #500;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 1em #500;
box-shadow: 0 0 1em red;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
text-align: center;
}
.stability strong {
display: block;
}
.stability input {
-moz-appearance: none; -webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0;
border: 0; padding: 0.25em 0.5em; background: transparent; color: black;
position: absolute; top: -0.5em; right: 0; font: 1.25em sans-serif; text-align: center;
}
.stability input:hover {
color: white;
text-shadow: 0 0 2px black;
}
.stability input:active {
padding: 0.3em 0.45em 0.2em 0.55em;
}
.stability :link, .stability :visited,
.stability :link:hover, .stability :visited:hover {
background: transparent;
color: white;
}
/**/
/**/
</style><link href="http://www.w3.org/StyleSheets/TR/W3C-WD" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"><meta content="noindex" name="robots"><script>
function getCookie(name) {
var params = location.search.substr(1).split("&");
for (var index = 0; index < params.length; index++) {
if (params[index] == name)
return "1";
var data = params[index].split("=");
if (data[0] == name)
return unescape(data[1]);
}
var cookies = document.cookie.split("; ");
for (var index = 0; index < cookies.length; index++) {
var data = cookies[index].split("=");
if (data[0] == name)
return unescape(data[1]);
}
return null;
}
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<link href="Overview.html#contents" rel="contents" title="Table of contents">
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<body class="split chapter" onload="fixBrokenLink();"><div class="head" id="head">
<div aria-haspopup="true" id="jumpIndexA-button" role="button" tabindex="0">jump
<div id="jumpIndexA">
<ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-a-element.html#the-a-element">a</a><a class="noindex" href="the-abbr-element.html#the-abbr-element">abbr</a><a class="noindex" href="the-address-element.html#the-address-element">address</a><a class="noindex" href="the-area-element.html#the-area-element">area</a><a class="noindex" href="the-article-element.html#the-article-element">article</a><a class="noindex" href="the-aside-element.html#the-aside-element">aside</a><a class="noindex" href="the-audio-element.html#the-audio-element">audio</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-b-element.html#the-b-element">b</a><a class="noindex" href="the-base-element.html#the-base-element">base</a><a class="noindex" href="the-bdi-element.html#the-bdi-element">bdi</a><a class="noindex" href="the-bdo-element.html#the-bdo-element">bdo</a><a class="noindex" href="the-blockquote-element.html#the-blockquote-element">blockquote</a><a class="noindex" href="the-body-element.html#the-body-element">body</a><a class="noindex" href="the-br-element.html#the-br-element">br</a><a class="noindex" href="the-button-element.html#the-button-element">button</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-canvas-element.html#the-canvas-element">canvas</a><a class="noindex" href="the-caption-element.html#the-caption-element">caption</a><a class="noindex" href="the-cite-element.html#the-cite-element">cite</a><a class="noindex" href="the-code-element.html#the-code-element">code</a><a class="noindex" href="the-col-element.html#the-col-element">col</a><a class="noindex" href="the-colgroup-element.html#the-colgroup-element">colgroup</a><a class="noindex" href="the-command-element.html#the-command-element">command</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-datalist-element.html#the-datalist-element">datalist</a><a class="noindex" href="the-dd-element.html#the-dd-element">dd</a><a class="noindex" href="the-del-element.html#the-del-element">del</a><a class="noindex" href="the-details-element.html#the-details-element">details</a><a class="noindex" href="the-dfn-element.html#the-dfn-element">dfn</a><a class="noindex" href="the-div-element.html#the-div-element">div</a><a class="noindex" href="the-dl-element.html#the-dl-element">dl</a><a class="noindex" href="the-dt-element.html#the-dt-element">dt</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-em-element.html#the-em-element">em</a><a class="noindex" href="the-embed-element.html#the-embed-element">embed</a><a class="noindex" href="the-fieldset-element.html#the-fieldset-element">fieldset</a><a class="noindex" href="the-figcaption-element.html#the-figcaption-element">figcaption</a><a class="noindex" href="the-figure-element.html#the-figure-element">figure</a><a class="noindex" href="the-footer-element.html#the-footer-element">footer</a><a class="noindex" href="the-form-element.html#the-form-element">form</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h1</a><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h2</a><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h3</a><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h4</a><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h5</a><a class="noindex" href="the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements.html#the-h1,-h2,-h3,-h4,-h5,-and-h6-elements">h6</a><a class="noindex" href="#the-head-element">head</a><a class="noindex" href="the-header-element.html#the-header-element">header</a><a class="noindex" href="the-hgroup-element.html#the-hgroup-element">hgroup</a><a class="noindex" href="the-hr-element.html#the-hr-element">hr</a><a class="noindex" href="the-html-element.html#the-html-element">html</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-i-element.html#the-i-element">i</a><a class="noindex" href="the-iframe-element.html#the-iframe-element">iframe</a><a class="noindex" href="the-img-element.html#the-img-element">img</a><a class="noindex" href="the-input-element.html#the-input-element">input</a><a class="noindex" href="the-ins-element.html#the-ins-element">ins</a><a class="noindex" href="the-kbd-element.html#the-kbd-element">kbd</a><a class="noindex" href="the-keygen-element.html#the-keygen-element">keygen</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-label-element.html#the-label-element">label</a><a class="noindex" href="the-legend-element.html#the-legend-element">legend</a><a class="noindex" href="the-li-element.html#the-li-element">li</a><a class="noindex" href="the-link-element.html#the-link-element">link</a><a class="noindex" href="the-map-element.html#the-map-element">map</a><a class="noindex" href="the-mark-element.html#the-mark-element">mark</a><a class="noindex" href="the-menu-element.html#the-menu-element">menu</a><a class="noindex" href="the-meta-element.html#the-meta-element">meta</a><a class="noindex" href="the-meter-element.html#the-meter-element">meter</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-nav-element.html#the-nav-element">nav</a><a class="noindex" href="the-noscript-element.html#the-noscript-element">noscript</a><a class="noindex" href="the-object-element.html#the-object-element">object</a><a class="noindex" href="the-ol-element.html#the-ol-element">ol</a><a class="noindex" href="the-optgroup-element.html#the-optgroup-element">optgroup</a><a class="noindex" href="the-option-element.html#the-option-element">option</a><a class="noindex" href="the-output-element.html#the-output-element">output</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-p-element.html#the-p-element">p</a><a class="noindex" href="the-param-element.html#the-param-element">param</a><a class="noindex" href="the-pre-element.html#the-pre-element">pre</a><a class="noindex" href="the-progress-element.html#the-progress-element">progress</a><a class="noindex" href="the-q-element.html#the-q-element">q</a><a class="noindex" href="the-rp-element.html#the-rp-element">rp</a><a class="noindex" href="the-rt-element.html#the-rt-element">rt</a><a class="noindex" href="the-ruby-element.html#the-ruby-element">ruby</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-s-element.html#the-s-element">s</a><a class="noindex" href="the-samp-element.html#the-samp-element">samp</a><a class="noindex" href="the-script-element.html#the-script-element">script</a><a class="noindex" href="the-section-element.html#the-section-element">section</a><a class="noindex" href="the-select-element.html#the-select-element">select</a><a class="noindex" href="the-small-element.html#the-small-element">small</a><a class="noindex" href="the-source-element.html#the-source-element">source</a><a class="noindex" href="the-span-element.html#the-span-element">span</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-strong-element.html#the-strong-element">strong</a><a class="noindex" href="the-style-element.html#the-style-element">style</a><a class="noindex" href="the-sub-and-sup-elements.html#the-sub-and-sup-elements">sub</a><a class="noindex" href="the-summary-element.html#the-summary-element">summary</a><a class="noindex" href="the-sub-and-sup-elements.html#the-sub-and-sup-elements">sup</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-table-element.html#the-table-element">table</a><a class="noindex" href="the-tbody-element.html#the-tbody-element">tbody</a><a class="noindex" href="the-td-element.html#the-td-element">td</a><a class="noindex" href="the-textarea-element.html#the-textarea-element">textarea</a><a class="noindex" href="the-tfoot-element.html#the-tfoot-element">tfoot</a><a class="noindex" href="the-th-element.html#the-th-element">th</a><a class="noindex" href="the-thead-element.html#the-thead-element">thead</a><a class="noindex" href="the-time-element.html#the-time-element">time</a><a class="noindex" href="the-title-element.html#the-title-element">title</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a class="noindex" href="the-tr-element.html#the-tr-element">tr</a><a class="noindex" href="the-track-element.html#the-track-element">track</a><a class="noindex" href="the-u-element.html#the-u-element">u</a><a class="noindex" href="the-ul-element.html#the-ul-element">ul</a><a class="noindex" href="the-var-element.html#the-var-element">var</a><a class="noindex" href="the-video-element.html#the-video-element">video</a><a class="noindex" href="the-wbr-element.html#the-wbr-element">wbr</a></li>
</ul><ul class="jumpIndexA-other"><li><a class="noindex" href="global-attributes.html#global-attributes">global
attributes</a><a class="noindex" href="index-of-terms.html#index-of-terms">terms</a></li>
</ul></div>
</div>
<script src="jump-indexes.js">
</script><p><a href="http://www.w3.org/"><img alt="W3C" height="48" src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/w3c_home" width="72"></a></p>
<h1>HTML5</h1>
</div>
<div class="prev_next">
<a href="the-html-element.html">← 4.1.1 The html element</a> –
<a href="Overview.html#contents">Table of contents</a> –
<a href="the-title-element.html">4.2.2 The title element →</a>
</div>
<h4 id="the-head-element"><span class="secno">4.2.1</span> The
<dfn><code>head</code></dfn> element</h4>
<dl class="element"><dt><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#element-dfn-categories" id="element-dfn-categories_1" title="element-dfn-categories">Categories</a>:</dt>
<dd>None.</dd>
<dt><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#element-dfn-contexts" id="element-dfn-contexts_1" title="element-dfn-contexts">Contexts
in which this element can be used</a>:</dt>
<dd>As the first element in an <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-html-element" id="html_6">html</a></code> element.</dd>
<dt><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#element-dfn-content-model" id="element-dfn-content-model_1" title="element-dfn-content-model">Content model</a>:</dt>
<dd>If the document is <a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#an-iframe-srcdoc-document" id="an-iframe-srcdoc-document_2">an <code>iframe</code>
<code title="attr-iframe-srcdoc">srcdoc</code> document</a> or if
title information is available from a higher-level protocol: Zero
or more elements of <a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#metadata-content-0" id="metadata-content_2">metadata content</a>.</dd>
<dd>Otherwise: One or more elements of <a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#metadata-content-0" id="metadata-content_3">metadata content</a>, of which exactly one
is a <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-title-element" id="title_45">title</a></code> element.</dd>
<dt><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#element-dfn-attributes" id="element-dfn-attributes_1" title="element-dfn-attributes">Content attributes</a>:</dt>
<dd><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#global-attributes" id="global-attributes_1">Global attributes</a></dd>
<dt><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#element-dfn-dom" id="element-dfn-dom_1" title="element-dfn-dom">DOM interface</a>:</dt>
<!--TOPIC:DOM APIs-->
<dd>
<pre class="idl">
interface <dfn id="htmlheadelement">HTMLHeadElement</dfn> : <a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#htmlelement" id="htmlelement_6">HTMLElement</a> {};
</pre></dd>
</dl><!--TOPIC:HTML--><p>The <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-head-element" id="head_7">head</a></code> element <a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#represents">represents</a>
a collection of metadata for the <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#document" id="document_60">Document</a></code>.</p>
<div class="example">
<p>The collection of metadata in a <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-head-element" id="head_8">head</a></code> element can be large or small. Here is
an example of a very short one:</p>
<pre>
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<title>A document with a short head</title>
</head>
<body>
...
</pre>
<p>Here is an example of a longer one:</p>
<pre>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META CHARSET="UTF-8">
<BASE HREF="http://www.example.com/">
<TITLE>An application with a long head</TITLE>
<LINK REL="STYLESHEET" HREF="default.css">
<LINK REL="STYLESHEET ALTERNATE" HREF="big.css" TITLE="Big Text">
<SCRIPT SRC="support.js"></SCRIPT>
<META NAME="APPLICATION-NAME" CONTENT="Long headed application">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
...
</pre></div>
<p class="note">The <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-title-element" id="title_46">title</a></code> element is a required child in most
situations, but when a higher-level protocol provides title
information, e.g. in the Subject line of an e-mail when HTML is
used as an e-mail authoring format, the <code><a href="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-title-element" id="title_47">title</a></code> element can be omitted.</p>
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