What are Deprecated HTML Tags?

Deprecated or obsolete HTML tags refer to elements that are no longer recommended for use, typically because they have been replaced by modern HTML5 alternatives. The HTML5 elements provide better features, improved accessibility, and broader browser compatibility. These changes ensure that websites remain valid, future-proof, and aligned with current web standards. Here are the key points to understand:

  • HTML tags form the core structure of every web page.
  • And keeping content valid means using up-to-date HTML5 elements instead of outdated ones.
  • As HTML evolved, some tags became unsuitable due to technology and design changes.
  • With each major HTML update, including HTML5, certain tags are officially marked as deprecated.
  • Deprecated elements remain functional for a time but are discouraged for use in new projects.
  • Eventually, browsers drop support, and these elements become fully obsolete in later versions.

HTML Deprecated Tags Alphabetical Reference (HTML5 obsolete tags)

The table below lists all 36 deprecated and obsolete HTML tags. Use this deprecated HTML elements reference to migrate legacy markup to modern, standards compliant HTML5.

36 Obsolete Tags in HTML5
TAG DESCRIPTION ALTERNATIVE
<acronym> Define an acronym in legacy pages <abbr>
<applet> Embed Java applets <embed>, <object>
<basefont> Set font size family and color inline CSS
<bgsound> Play background audio <audio>
<big> Render larger text CSS
<blink> Create blinking text effect CSS animations
<center> Center content horizontally CSS
<content> Shadow DOM insertion point <slot>
<dir> Directory style list element <ul>, <ol>
<font> Inline font family size and color CSS
<frame> Defined a single frame in frameset <iframe> and CSS
<frameset> Group frames into a frameset <iframe> and CSS
<hgroup> Group headings inside a section <header> and CSS
<image> Early experimental image element <img>
<isindex> Single line query control for a document <form> and input controls
<keygen> Generate key pairs in forms Webcrypto API
<listing> Display code or preformatted markup <pre> and <code>
<marquee> Scroll text or images across the screen CSS animations
<menuitem> Context menu item element JavaScript driven menus
<multicol> Create multiple column text layouts CSS columns
<nextid> Auto generate anchor name labels for NeXT tools GUIDs or programmatic ids
<nobr> Prevent text wrapping CSS white space controls
<noembed> Fallback content for unsupported embed <embed> and <object>
<noframes> Fallback content for browsers without frames <iframe> and progressive enhancement
<param> Provide parameters for an object element data attribute on <object>
<plaintext> Treat a document as raw text text/plain MIME type
<portal> Embed another page with portal behavior <iframe> or enable new browser support
<rb> Base text component for ruby annotation Nested <ruby> structure
<rtc> Text container for ruby annotations Nested <ruby> structure
<s> Render strikethrough text <del> or CSS text decoration
<shadow> Shadow DOM insertion point Use modern web components API
<spacer> Create visual spacing between elements CSS spacing
<strike> Render strikethrough text <del> or CSS text decoration
<tt> Render teletype or monospaced text <code> and <pre>
<u> Underline text for presentation CSS text decoration
<xmp> Display markup as raw text without parsing <pre> and <code>

Use this reference to replace deprecated HTML tags with semantic HTML5 elements, CSS, or modern APIs. Updating deprecated attributes and tags in HTML helps accessibility and long-term maintainability while ensuring compliance with modern HTML5 standards.

HTML Tags Reference

For a complete overview of all 140+ HTML tags, visit the HTML elements Reference.