You might see <col> 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
Supplies column-wide metadata or styling hooks within colgroup; it cannot contain table cells.
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.
<table>
<colgroup>
<col>
<col class="score-column">
</colgroup>
<tr><th>Student</th><th>Score</th></tr>
<tr><td>Alex</td><td>91</td></tr>
</table>What Each Part Does
- The col element describes a table column without containing its cells.
- A table represents information arranged in related rows and columns.
- The colgroup groups column definitions.
- class gives reusable identifiers for styling or structured conventions.
The columns can be targeted through supported CSS properties.
Try It Yourself
Try replacing the example content with your own while keeping the valid HTML structure.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Trying to place td or th elements inside col.
- Changing several parts of the example at once, making it difficult to see which part caused a different result.
- Choosing a tag only because its default appearance looks right, without checking whether it describes the content correctly.
Key Takeaways
- Supplies column-wide metadata or styling hooks within colgroup; it cannot contain table cells.
- The columns can be targeted through supported CSS properties.
- Test the markup in a browser, and check accessibility and real-world behavior where relevant.