HTML cite Attribute

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Description

The cite attribute in HTML is used to provide a reference or citation for a quote (<q>) or a blockquote (<blockquote>), indicating the source from which the quoted text originates. It can also be used within the <del> and <ins> tags to cite the source of a deletion or insertion, respectively. The value of the cite attribute is expected to be a valid URL that points to the source document or the specific location within a document that contains the quoted or referenced material.

This attribute helps in attributing content to its original source, making web content more reliable and verifiable. However, it's important to note that the cite attribute does not produce any visual change by itself; its purpose is purely semantic, providing a means for authors to link the quoted or modified content to its source. Browsers do not automatically turn the URL in the cite attribute into a clickable link. To make the source accessible to users, the URL should be included in the content of the webpage, possibly within the text of the <blockquote>, <q>, <del>, or <ins> elements, or through other means such as a footnote or an embedded hyperlink.

Syntax

<tagname cite="URL">

Values

URLURL or path to a document that explains the quotation or text change.

Applies To

Example

HTML

<blockquote cite="https://www.example.com/source-of-quote">

    <p>This is a longer block of quoted text that may extend for several sentences or paragraphs. It is from an external source, and the `cite` attribute provides a reference to that source.</p>

</blockquote>

Result

Editor

Browser Support

The following information will show you the current browser support for the HTML cite attribute. Hover over a browser icon to see the version that first introduced support for this HTML attribute.