<frame>: The FRAME Element

Last updated: 2026-10-13

<frame>The FRAME Element

Defines one independent sub-window inside a <frameset> that loads another page. HTML5 has deprecated frame/frameset; use <iframe> instead.

Category	Document Structure
Content Model	Flow content
Allowed Parents	Any element that accepts flow content
Content Tag	Self-closing — no closing tag needed
Status	Obsolete

📝 Syntax

<frame src="page.html" name="main">

⚙️ Attributes

This element supports the global attributes plus the following:

Attribute	Value	Description
`src`		URL loaded into this sub-window.
`name`		Name of the sub-window, used by link target.
`noresize`		Prevents the user from resizing the frame.
`scrolling`		Scrollbar behaviour: yes, no or auto.

See all global attributes → See all event attributes →

▶ Example

Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:

🌐 Browser Support

Browser	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Safari	Opera
<frame>	✓ v1	✓ v12	✓ v1	✓ v1	✓ v1
Supported in all major browsers

Tip： frame is obsolete and poorly indexed by search engines; use <iframe> or CSS layout.

❓ FAQ

QCan the frame tag still be used?

ANo. <frame> and <frameset> were the HTML4 frameset solution; HTML5 removed them entirely. Modern browsers no longer support the layout (they parse but render it broken). The replacements are <iframe> or SPA routing.

QHow do I migrate a frameset-era layout?

ASplit by purpose: navigation frames → server-side includes/SSI or front-end components; multi-pane panels → CSS Grid layout plus iframe where isolation is truly needed; content columns → Flexbox/Grid. Migration usually comes with a full modernization rewrite.

QWhat is the difference between frame and iframe?

A<frame> only exists inside a <frameset>, replaces body, and cannot be used standalone; <iframe> is an inline element placeable anywhere with independent scrolling. iframe survives today; frame is dead.

More case studies coming soon — check back later.

📚 Related Tutorials

HTML Tag Reference

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