From http://www.w3schools.com (Copyright Refsnes Data)

HTML 5 <a> tag

Definition and Usage

The <a> tag defines a hyperlink, which is used to link from one page to another.

Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML 5

In HTML 4.01, the <a> tag could be either a hyperlink or an anchor. This was determined by the href attribute. In HTML 5, the <a> tag is always a hyperlink, but if it has no href attribute, it is only a placeholder for a hyperlink.

HTML 5 has some new attributes, and some HTML 4.01 attributes are no longer supported.

Tips and Notes

Tip: A linked page is normally displayed in the current browser window, unless you specify another target.

Example

Source Output

<p>Linking to W3Schools:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com">
W3Schools</a>
</p>

<p>
Opening W3Schools a new browser window:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com"
target="_blank">W3Schools</a>
</p>

Linking to W3Schools: W3Schools

Opening W3Schools a new browser window: W3Schools


Attributes

Attribute Value Description 4 5
charset character_encoding Deprecated. Specifies the character encoding of the target URL 4  
coords

if shape="rect" then
coords="left,top,right,bottom"

if shape="circ" then
coords="centerx,centery,radius"

if shape="poly" then
coords="x1,y1,x2,y2,..,xn,yn"

 Deprecated. Specifies the coordinates appropriate to the shape attribute to define a region of an image for image maps 4  
href URL The target URL of the link 4 5
hreflang language_code Specifies the base language of the target URL. Use only if the href attribute is present 4 5
media media query Specifies the mediatype of the target URL. Default value: all. Use only if the href attribute is present   5
name section_name Deprecated. Names an anchor. Use this attribute to create a bookmark in a document. Not supported. Use id instead. 4  
ping URL

Space separated list of URL's that gets notified when a user follows the hyperlink. Use only if the href attribute is present

   5
rel alternate
archives
author
bookmark
contact
external
feed
first
help
icon
index
last
license
next
nofollow
noreferrer
pingback
prefetch
prev
search
stylesheet
sidebar
tag
up		 Specifies the relationship between the current document and the target URL. Use only if the href attribute is present 4 5
rev alternate
designates
stylesheet
start
next
prev
contents
index
glossary
copyright
chapter
section
subsection
appendix
help
bookmark		 Deprecated. Specifies the relationship between the target URL and the current document 4  
shape rect
rectangle
circ
circle
poly
polygon		 Deprecated. Defines the type of region to be defined for mapping in the current area tag. Used with the coords attribute. 4  
target _blank
_parent
_self
_top

Where to open the target URL. Use only if the href attribute is present

  • _blank - the target URL will open in a new window
  • _self - the target URL will open in the same document as it was clicked
  • _parent - the target URL will open in the parent document
  • _top - the target URL will open in the full body of the window
 4 5
type mime_type Specifies the MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type of the target URL. Use only if the href attribute is present 4 5

Standard Attributes

class, contenteditable, contextmenu, dir, draggable, id, irrelevant, lang, ref, registrationmark, tabindex, template, title

For a full description, go to Standard Attributes in HTML 5.

Event Attributes

onabort, onbeforeunload, onblur, onchange, onclick, oncontextmenu, ondblclick, ondrag, ondragend, ondragenter, ondragleave, ondragover, ondragstart, ondrop, onerror, onfocus, onkeydown, onkeypress, onkeyup, onload, onmessage, onmousedown, onmousemove, onmouseover, onmouseout, onmouseup, onmousewheel, onresize, onscroll, onselect, onsubmit, onunload

For a full description, go to Event Attributes in HTML 5.

Try-It-Yourself Demos

Create hyperlinks
How to create hyperlinks.

An image as a link
How to use an image as a link.

Open a link in a new browser window
How to open a link in a new browser window, so that the visitor does not have to leave your Web site.

Create a mailto link
How to link to a mail message (will only work if you have mail installed).

Create a mailto link 2
Another mailto link.

From http://www.w3schools.com (Copyright Refsnes Data)