HTML <link> Tag
Example
Link to an external style sheet:
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="theme.css">
</head>
Try it yourself »
Definition and Usage
The <link> tag defines a link between a document and an external resource.
The <link> tag is used to link to external style sheets.
Browser Support
When used for style sheets, the <link> tag is supported in all major browsers. No real support for anything else.
| Element | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <link> | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Note: The <link> element is an empty element, it contains attributes only.
Note: This element goes only in the head section, but it can appear any number of times.
Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5
Some HTML 4.01 attributes are not supported in HTML5.
The "sizes" attribute is new in HTML5.
Differences Between HTML and XHTML
In HTML the <link> tag has no end tag.
In XHTML the <link> tag must be properly closed.
Attributes
= New in HTML5.
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| charset | char_encoding | Not supported in HTML5. Specifies the character encoding of the linked document |
| crossorigin | anonymous use-credentials |
Specifies how the element handles cross-origin requests |
| href | URL | Specifies the location of the linked document |
| hreflang | language_code | Specifies the language of the text in the linked document |
| media | media_query | Specifies on what device the linked document will be displayed |
| rel | alternate archives author bookmark external first help icon last license next nofollow noreferrer pingback prefetch prev search sidebar stylesheet tag up |
Required. Specifies the relationship between the current document and the linked document |
| rev | reversed relationship | Not supported in HTML5. Specifies the relationship between the linked document and the current document |
| sizes | HeightxWidth any |
Specifies the size of the linked resource. Only for rel="icon" |
| target | _blank _self _top _parent frame_name |
Not supported in HTML5. Specifies where the linked document is to be loaded |
| type | media_type | Specifies the media type of the linked document |
Global Attributes
The <link> tag also supports the Global Attributes in HTML.
Event Attributes
The <link> tag also supports the Event Attributes in HTML.
Related Pages
HTML tutorial: HTML Styles
HTML DOM reference: Link Object
Default CSS Settings
Most browsers will display the <link> element with the following default values:
link {
display: none;
}
