#summary The a type attribute represents the content type of the target resource of a hyperlink.
#labels about-html,is-html-attribute,from-w3c

You are here: [Welcome Home] > [HTMLReference HTML Reference] > [HTMLElements Elements] > [AElement <a> element] > *type attribute*

== Usage ==

This attribute is purely advisory; it does not override the content type of the target resource once the user follows the link.

{{{
<a rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" href="/atom.xml">subscribe</a>
}}}

== Values ==

Must be a valid [http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2046.txt RFC 2046-compliant MIME type], with optional MIME type parameters.  No default value.

== Elements ==

You can use the `type` attribute on the following elements:

  * [AElement <a>]
  * [AreaElement <area>]
  * [BlockquoteElement <blockquote>]
  * [ButtonElement <button>]
  * [CommandElement <command>]
  * [DirElement <dir>]
  * [EmbedElement <embed>]
  * [LiElement <li>]
  * [LinkElement <link>]
  * [MenuElement <menu>]
  * [ObjectElement <object>]
  * [OlElement <ol>]
  * [ParamElement <param>]
  * [ScriptElement <script>]
  * [SourceElement <source>]
  * [SpacerElement <spacer>]
  * [StyleElement <style>]
  * [UlElement <ul>]

== Browser compatibility ==

[ArticleBrowserCompatibilityLegend Compatibility table legend]

|| *Test* || *IE8* || *IE7* || *IE6* || *FF3* || *FF2* || *Saf3* || *Op9* || *Chrome* ||
|| [http://doctype.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/tests/html/attributes/a-type-reflection-test.html a.type reflects <a type="text/html">] || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y ||

== Further reading ==

  * [http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/#type17 The type attribute in HTML 5]
  * [http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/links.html#adef-type-A The type attribute in HTML 4]
  * [http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms534698.aspx The type attribute on MSDN]
  * [http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2046.txt RFC 2046: Media Types]