You might see <address> Element reference while reading someone else’s HTML, or need it while building a page of your own. Instead of memorizing a definition, look at a working example and see when the element makes sense.
The Idea in Plain English
Contains contact information for the nearest article or body, not any postal address mentioned in a story.
For a reference page, pay attention to where the element is allowed, whether it needs a closing tag, and what other elements it can contain.
A Working Example
Read the sample once before copying it. Notice the element names and attribute values, then compare them with the explanation below.
<footer>
<address>
Contact the author at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.
</address>
</footer>What Each Part Does
- The address marks relevant contact information.
- The anchor is a link when its href points to a destination.
- The footer adds closing information for its page or nearby section.
- href is the URL or fragment destination of a link.
The contact method is shown in the footer as author information.
Try It Yourself
Try replacing the example content with your own while keeping the valid HTML structure.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Using address as a generic container for every street address.
- Copying the code without checking whether its linked files or endpoints exist; sample addresses and file paths need real resources.
- Choosing a tag only because its default appearance looks right, without checking whether it describes the content correctly.
Key Takeaways
- Contains contact information for the nearest article or body, not any postal address mentioned in a story.
- The contact method is shown in the footer as author information.
- Test the markup in a browser, and check accessibility and real-world behavior where relevant.