<caption>: The Table Caption element

The HTML <caption> element specifies the caption (or title) of a table.

Content categories None.
Permitted content Flow content.
Tag omission The end tag can be omitted if the element is not immediately followed by ASCII whitespace or a comment.
Permitted parents A <table> element, as its first descendant.
Implicit ARIA role No corresponding role
Permitted ARIA roles No role permitted
DOM interface HTMLTableCaptionElement

Attributes

This element includes the global attributes.

Deprecated attributes

The following attributes are deprecated and should not be used. They are documented below for reference when updating existing code and for historical interest only.

align
This enumerated attribute indicates how the caption must be aligned with respect to the table. It may have one of the following values:
left
The caption is displayed to the left of the table.
top
The caption is displayed above the table.
right
The caption is displayed to the right of the table.
bottom
The caption is displayed below the table.
Usage note: Do not use this attribute, as it has been deprecated. The <caption> element should be styled using the CSS properties caption-side and text-align.

Usage notes

The <caption> element should be the first child of its parent <table> element.

When the <table> element that contains the <caption> is the only descendant of a <figure> element, you should use the <figcaption> element instead of <caption>.

Example

This simple example presents a table that includes a caption.

<table>
  <caption>Example Caption</caption>
  <tr>
    <th>Login</th>
    <th>Email</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>user1</td>
    <td>user1@sample.com</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>user2</td>
    <td>user2@sample.com</td>
  </tr>
</table>

table {background: red;} do not alter caption. For that you need display: block.

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
HTML Living Standard
The definition of '<caption>' in that specification.
Living Standard
HTML5
The definition of '<caption>' in that specification.
Recommendation
HTML 4.01 Specification
The definition of '<caption>' in that specification.
Recommendation

Browser compatibility

DesktopMobile
ChromeEdgeFirefoxInternet ExplorerOperaSafariAndroid webviewChrome for AndroidFirefox for AndroidOpera for AndroidSafari on iOSSamsung Internet
captionChrome Full support YesEdge Full support 12Firefox Full support 1IE Full support YesOpera Full support YesSafari Full support YesWebView Android Full support YesChrome Android Full support YesFirefox Android Full support 4Opera Android Full support YesSafari iOS Full support YesSamsung Internet Android Full support Yes
align
Deprecated
Chrome Full support YesEdge Full support 12Firefox Full support 1IE Full support YesOpera Full support YesSafari Full support YesWebView Android Full support YesChrome Android Full support YesFirefox Android Full support 4Opera Android Full support YesSafari iOS Full support YesSamsung Internet Android Full support Yes

Legend

Full support
Full support
Deprecated. Not for use in new websites.
Deprecated. Not for use in new websites.

See also