HTML <th> tag

Updated: 09/12/2023 by Computer Hope
HTML th tag

The HTML (hypertext markup language) <th> tag is short for table head and used to designate a cell as a column header in a table. It is useful for storing information about a set of rows or columns. The following sections contain information about the <th> tag, including an example of it in use, and related attributes and browser compatibility.

Tip

More advanced tables may include the <caption>, <col>, <colgroup>, <tbody>, <tfoot>, or <thead> elements.

Example of <th> code

<table class="mtable2 tab">
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Savings</th>
</tr>
<tr class="tcw">
<td>March</td>
<td>$200</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tcw">
<td>April</td>
<td>$300</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tcw"> <td>May</td>
<td>$250</td>
</tr>
</table>

Example result

Month Savings
March $200
April $300
May $250

We have added a few of our own classes to the table using CSS; this action allows us to improve its appearance.

Attributes

All HTML tags support standard attributes that define the settings of an HTML element. In addition to the standard settings, the <th> tag has the following unique attributes.

Attribute Description
abbr Designates an abbreviated version of the content within a header cell.
colspan Designates how man columns a header cell should span.
headers Designates one or more header cells that a certain cell has relation.
rowspan Designates how man rows a header cell should span.
scope Designates whether a header cell is a header for a column, row, or group of columns or rows.
sorted Designates the sorting direction of a column.

Deprecated attributes

In addition to the above attributes, the <th> tag had the following deprecated attributes.

Attribute Description
align Designates the alignment of content inside an element.
axis Used to categorize header cells.
bgcolor Designates the background color of a header cell.
char Aligns the content in a header cell to a specific character.
charoff Sets the number of characters to offset the content from the character designated by the char attribute.
height Designates the height of a header cell.
nowrap Designates that the content inside a header cell should not wrap.
valign Alights the content in a header cell vertically.
width Designates the width of a header cell.

Compatibility

Edge Internet Explorer Firefox Safari Opera Chrome
All versions All versions All versions All version All versions All versions

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