<blockquote>: The BLOCKQUOTE Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<blockquote>The BLOCKQUOTE Element
Represents a block-level quotation (distinct from inline q), optionally with a citation.
| Category | Semantic |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Flow content |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts flow content |
| Content Tag | Yes — requires closing </blockquote> tag |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<blockquote>quoted content</blockquote>⚙️ Attributes
This element supports the global attributes plus the following:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
cite | URL of the source document being quoted. |
▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <blockquote> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： Use blockquote for long quotes, q for inline ones; cite the source via the cite attribute or a footer.
❓ FAQ
QWhat is the difference between blockquote and q?
A
<blockquote> is a block-level quotation (whole paragraphs, multiple lines); <q> is an inline quotation inside a sentence. Browsers automatically add quotation marks to <q> but not to blockquote. Use the former for long quotations, the latter mid-sentence.QHow do I use the cite attribute of blockquote?
AThe
cite attribute takes the URL of the quotation source, e.g. <blockquote cite='https://example.com/source'>. It is invisible to users; to display the source, add a <footer> or <cite> element inside the quotation block yourself.QCan blockquote be nested?
AYes. Nested
<blockquote> means a quotation within a quotation; the spec sets no depth limit, but deep nesting hurts readability — one or two levels is usually enough. Indentation accumulates per level.🏷️ Related Tags
💡 Related Cases
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📚 Related Tutorials
