You might see <meter> 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
Shows a known quantity within a bounded range, such as a score or storage use. Unlike progress it is not a task-completion indicator.
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.
<label for="battery">Battery charge</label>
<meter id="battery" min="0" max="100" low="20" high="80" optimum="100" value="72">72%</meter>What Each Part Does
- The meter shows a bounded known measurement.
- The label tells visitors and assistive tools what a control is for.
- for connects a visible label to the control with the same ID.
- id names an element for labels, fragments, CSS or JavaScript; IDs should be unique.
- value specifies a form value or a machine-readable value.
A gauge indicates a known value of 72 out of 100.
Try It Yourself
Try replacing the example content with your own while keeping the valid HTML structure.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Using meter to show how much of a task has been completed.
- 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
- Shows a known quantity within a bounded range, such as a score or storage use. Unlike progress it is not a task-completion indicator.
- A gauge indicates a known value of 72 out of 100.
- Test the markup in a browser, and check accessibility and real-world behavior where relevant.