HTML <table> Tag

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Description

The <table> HTML element is used to create a structured grid of data composed of rows and columns. It provides a way to display information in a tabular format, making it easier to read, compare, and organize data on a webpage. Tables are widely used for displaying datasets, schedules, statistics, or any information that benefits from a clear row-and-column layout.

A basic <table> consists of one or more <tr> (table row) elements, which themselves contain <td> (table data) cells for content or <th> (table header) cells for headers. Headers are typically bold and centered by default, providing context for the data in their corresponding rows or columns.

Tables can be simple, with just rows and cells, or more complex, with additional elements like <caption> for a title or description, <thead> for grouping header rows, <tbody> for the main body of data, and <tfoot> for footer rows. These elements improve semantic structure, accessibility, and styling flexibility.

Although <table> is a powerful tool for displaying structured information, modern web design practices recommend using tables only for tabular data, rather than for page layout, as layout tables can hinder accessibility and responsiveness.

Properties

Permitted Parents: Any element that accepts flow content
Content: An optional <caption>, zero or more <col> or <colgroup> tags, optional <thead> and <tfoot>, zero or more <tbody> tags and at least one <tr>
Start/End Tags: Start tag: required, End tag: required

Example

HTML

<table border="1">

  <tr>

    <td>Cat</td>

    <td>Dog</td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Mouse</td>

    <td>Bird</td>

  </tr>

</table>

Result

Editor

Attributes

None

Global Attributes

The <table> tag also supports the Global Attributes in HTML5

Event Attributes

The <table> tag also supports the Event Attributes in HTML5

Browser Support

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