<dialog>: The DIALOG Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<dialog>The DIALOG Element
Represents a dialog box or modal, opened via JavaScript showModal()/show().
| Category | Semantic |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Flow content |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts flow content |
| Content Tag | Yes — requires closing </dialog> tag |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<dialog>dialog content</dialog>▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <dialog> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： showModal() gives a native modal (backdrop + Esc to close); the open attribute shows it non-modally.
❓ FAQ
QHow does dialog differ from a plain div modal?
A
<dialog> is the native modal element: opened with showModal() it renders in the top layer (covering everything), traps focus, and closes on Esc — no hand-written z-index or focus trap needed. A div modal has to build all of that itself.QWhat is the difference between showModal and show on dialog?
A
showModal() opens a modal dialog: backdrop, the rest of the page blocked from interaction, and Esc to close. show() opens a non-modal dialog: no backdrop, users can still interact with the rest of the page. Both close via close().QCan dialog be styled with CSS?
AYes. The backdrop is styled through the
::backdrop pseudo-element and the dialog body uses normal CSS. Be careful not to override the display behavior driven by the open state — dialog[open] styling matters.🏷️ Related Tags
💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
📚 Related Tutorials
