Overview

This HTML usage data comes from 8 million index pages gathered from top twenty Google results, for about 30 million keywords - chosen by keyword volume. To learn more about this data, visit the FAQ section.

Apparently, an average web page uses twenty-five different element types:

And the twenty-five elements used on the most pages are:

<head>
98.1%
<body>
97.9%
<html>
97.9%
<title>
97%
<meta>
93.9%
<div>
89.9%
<a>
89.6%
<script>
88.5%
<link>
86.5%
<img>
86.3%
<p>
81.5%
<span>
75.6%
<li>
73.8%
<ul>
73.7%
<br>
70.3%
<style>
60.4%
<h1>
55.8%
<h2>
52.7%
<input>
48.4%
<form>
46.9%
<strong>
44.3%
<h3>
43.1%
<table>
30.9%
<tr>
30.3%
<td>
30.2%
8,021,323 pages

Doctype

The doctype is the very first line of a HTML document and it specifies which version of (X)HTML that page is using.

HTML 5
64.7%
XHTML 1.0 TRANSITIONAL
23.5%
XHTML 1.0 STRICT
5.9%
HTML 4.01 TRANSITIONAL
3.6%
HTML 4.01 STRICT
1.5%
XHTML 1.1
0.7%
HTML 4.01 FRAMESET
0.2%
6,359,038 elements

Basic elements and metadata

The html, which is known as the root element, wraps the contents of a web page and it can be found immediately after the doctype declaration. Metadata contains information about the page like styles, scripts and data to help search engines or browsers to use and render the page.

<link>
42.6%
<meta>
35.6%
[name]
[http-equiv]
[charset]
<style>
8%
<head>
4.5%
<html>
4.5%
[xml:lang]
[lang]
[xmlns]
[class]
[prefix]
[dir]
[xmlns:fb]
[xmlns:og]
[itemtype]
[itemscope]
<title>
4.4%
<base>
0.3%
174,916,470 elements

Content sectioning

The content sectioning elements allow you to organize the contents into logical pieces.

headings
69.8%
<h3>
<h2>
<h4>
<h1>
<h5>
<h6>
<section>
7.1%
<article>
6.5%
<header>
5.7%
<footer>
4.1%
<nav>
3.6%
<aside>
2.7%
<address>
0.3%
<hgroup>
0.3%
104,877,521 elements

Text content

The text content elements are useful to organize content within the body and they help you identify the purpose of that content.

<div>
55.8%
<li>
25.6%
<p>
12.1%
<ul>
5.1%
<hr>
0.4%
<figure>
0.2%
<dd>
0.2%
<dt>
0.2%
<dl>
0.1%
<ol>
0.1%
<pre>
0.1%
<figcaption>
0.1%
<main>
1,032,378,469 elements

Inline text semantics

Use the HTML inline text semantic to define the meaning, structure, or style of a word, line, or any arbitrary piece of text.

<a>
53.4%
<span>
24.6%
<br>
11.5%
<strong>
3.4%
<i>
2.8%
<b>
2.3%
<em>
0.8%
<time>
0.3%
<small>
0.3%
<u>
0.2%
<sup>
0.1%
<abbr>
0.1%
<cite>
0.1%
<wbr>
<code>
<dfn>
<s>
<q>
<var>
<sub>
<mark>
<samp>
<bdi>
<kbd>
<data>
<bdo>
<ruby>
<rt>
<rp>
936,809,246 elements

Image and multimedia

HTML supports various multimedia resources such as images, audio, and video.

<img>
97.8%
<area>
1.7%
<map>
0.4%
<video>
0.08%
<audio>
0.05%
<track>
142,220,701 elements

Embedded content

In addition to regular multimedia content, HTML can include a variety of other content, even if it's not always easy to interact with.

<param>
58.3%
<source>
17.5%
<object>
14.2%
<embed>
10%
3,507,540 elements

Scripting

In order to create dynamic content and Web applications, HTML supports the use of scripting languages, most prominently JavaScript. Certain elements support this capability.

<script>
96.9%
<noscript>
3%
<canvas>
117,285,404 elements

Demarcating edits

These elements let you provide indications that specific parts of the text have been altered.

<ins>
69.2%
<del>
30.8%
885,722 elements

Table content

The elements here are used to create and handle tabular data.

<td>
59%
<tr>
27.8%
<table>
10.6%
<tbody>
1.3%
<th>
1%
<col>
0.2%
<thead>
0.1%
<caption>
<colgroup>
<tfoot>
163,919,948 elements

Forms

HTML provides a number of elements which can be used together to create forms which the user can fill out and submit.

<option>
49.5%
<input>
30.2%
[type="hidden"]
[type="text"]
[type="submit"]
[type="checkbox"]
[type="email"]
[type="radio"]
[type="image"]
[type="button"]
[type="search"]
[type="password"]
[type="tel"]
[type="number"]
[type="reset"]
[type="file"]
[type="date"]
[type="url"]
[type="range"]
[type="color"]
[type="time"]
[type="datetime-local"]
<label>
7.2%
<form>
6.1%
<button>
3.7%
[type="button"]
[type="submit"]
[type="reset"]
<select>
1.9%
<textarea>
0.7%
<fieldset>
0.5%
<optgroup>
0.1%
<legend>
0.1%
<progress>
<datalist>
<output>
<meter>
114,533,603 elements

Interactive elements

HTML offers a selection of elements which help to create interactive user interface objects.

<menu>
71.5%
<summary>
17.3%
<details>
7.1%
<menuitem>
3.4%
<dialog>
0.7%
28,232 elements

Web components

Web Components is an HTML-related technology which makes it possible to, essentially, create and use custom elements as if it were regular HTML. In addition, you can even create custom versions of standard HTML elements, as well.

<content>
54%
<template>
39.4%
<element>
6%
<shadow>
0.7%
8,872 elements

Obsolete and deprecated elements

These are old HTML elements which are deprecated and should not be used. You should never use them in new projects, and should replace them in old projects as soon as you can. They are listed here for informational purposes only.

<font>
87.5%
<center>
8.1%
<big>
2.1%
<frame>
0.4%
<strike>
0.4%
<spacer>
0.4%
<marquee>
0.3%
<frameset>
0.3%
<tt>
0.2%
<blink>
0.1%
<acronym>
0.1%
<basefont>
0.1%
<applet>
<content>
<noembed>
<dir>
<xmp>
<plaintext>
<listing>
<command>
<nextid>
<keygen>
35,631,790 elements

Overview

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML-based markup language for describing two-dimensional vector graphics. There are several ways of including SVG in HTML:

  • Inline SVG code within HTML
  • Using SVG as an <img>
  • Using SVG as an <object>
  • Using SVG as an <embed>
  • Using SVG as an <iframe>

The object, iframe and embed methods usage is under 1%.

Inline <svg>
97.05%
as <img>
2.88%
as <object>
0.05%
as <embed>
0.02%
as <iframe>
5,610,764 elements

Inline SVG

Inline SVG refers to SVG code that is included right in the markup.

<path>
34.70%
<symbol>
10.36%
<title>
9.45%
<g>
7.75%
<rect>
5.46%
<svg> with <use>
4.94%
<polygon>
4.50%
<circle>
1.93%
<line>
1.80%
<stop>
1.04%
<filter>
0.79%
<fecolormatrix>
0.73%
<text>
0.66%
<defs>
0.59%
<tspan>
0.43%
<use>
0.43%
<polyline>
0.38%
<lineargradient>
0.34%
<clippath>
0.28%
<image>
0.24%
<style>
0.22%
<a>
0.17%
<ellipse>
0.15%
<animate>
0.14%
<desc>
0.11%
5,445,493 elements

SVG as an IMG

SVG images can be used as an image format:
<img src="red-circle.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="A red circle"/>

<img src*=".svg">
72.59%
<img src*="data:image/svg+xml;">
27.41%
161,509 elements

About

Thanks to

  • The AWRCloud team who provided the 8 million index pages set for this study.
  • Chris Coyier for the awesome feedback and guidance.

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