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<header>

The <header> HTML element represents introductory content, typically a group of introductory or navigational aids. It may contain some heading elements but also a logo, a search form, an author name, and other elements.

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Content categories	Flow content, palpable content.
Permitted content	Flow content, but with no `<header>` or `<footer>` descendant.
Tag omission	None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory.
Permitted parents	Any element that accepts flow content. Note that a `<header>` element must not be a descendant of an `<address>`, `<footer>` or another `<header>` element.
Implicit ARIA role	banner, or no corresponding role if a descendant of an `article`, `aside`, `main`, `nav` or `section` element, or an element with `role=article`, `complementary`, `main`, `navigation` or `region`
Permitted ARIA roles	`group`, `presentation` or `none`
DOM interface	`HTMLElement`

Usage notes

The <header> element has an identical meaning to the site-wide banner landmark role, unless nested within sectioning content. Then, the <header> element is not a landmark.

The <header> element can define a global site header, described as a banner in the accessibility tree. It usually includes a logo, company name, search feature, and possibly the global navigation or a slogan. It is generally located at the top of the page.

Otherwise, it is a section in the accessibility tree, and usually contain the surrounding section's heading (an h1–h6 element) and optional subheading, but this is not required.

Historical Usage

The <header> element originally existed at the very beginning of HTML for headings. It is seen in the very first website. At some point, headings became <h1> through <h6>, allowing <header> to be free to fill a different role.

Attributes

This element only includes the global attributes.

Examples

Page Header

<header>
  <h1>Main Page Title</h1>
  <img src="mdn-logo-sm.png" alt="MDN logo">
</header>

Article Header

<article>
  <header>
    <h2>The Planet Earth</h2>
    <p>Posted on Wednesday, <time datetime="2017-10-04">4 October 2017</time> by Jane Smith</p>
  </header>
  <p>We live on a planet that's blue and green, with so many things still unseen.</p>
  <p><a href="https://example.com/the-planet-earth/">Continue reading…</a></p>
</article>

Accessibility

The <header> element defines a banner landmark when its context is the <body> element. The HTML header element is not considered a banner landmark when it is descendant of an <article>, <aside>, <main>, <nav>, or <section> element.

Specifications

Specification
HTML Standard # the-header-element

Browser compatibility

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	WebView Android	Chrome Android	Firefox for Android	Opera Android	Safari on IOS	Samsung Internet
`header`	5	12	4	9	11.1	5	Yes	Yes	4	11.1	4.2	Yes