What is an HTML attribute?

This screen is part of a Web Feed Reference section for the Web Feed Generator. Please ask us if you cannot find the answer to your question.

HTML attributes are like brief notes attached to HTML elements that specify additional features. For instance, the type attribute of a form input element says whether it is a text field, hidden, a submit or reset button.

<input type="text" name="email" />
      

Common examples of HTML attributes are the unique id value on fragment anchors and the name and content attributes of meta elements. Attributes cannot be repeated within an element, but some allow a list of values to be given.

In some cases, the text of attributes is restricted to specific values and there is a standard range of attributes that can be assigned to each element, as recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium. The Web Feed Generator is designed to work with Web pages that follow these standards but does allow some common exceptions to the rules.

See also:

• What is a fragment anchor?
• What is a meta element?