<main>: The MAIN Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<main>The MAIN Element
Represents the dominant content of the document, unique and excluding repeated nav/sidebar/footer content.
| Category | Semantic |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Flow content |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts flow content |
| Content Tag | Yes — requires closing </main> tag |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<main>main content</main>▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <main> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： Use exactly one main per document; it must not be a descendant of article/aside/footer/header.
❓ FAQ
QHow many main elements can a page have?
AOnly one visible
<main> — the spec forbids multiple non-hidden mains in a document. It is the single landmark for the page's primary content that screen readers can jump to. When tabs switch content, use the hidden attribute so only one main shows at a time.QCan main go inside article or header?
ANo.
<main> may only be a direct child of body, div, or other non-semantic containers — it cannot be nested inside <article>, <aside>, <header>, <footer>, or <nav>. The typical structure keeps header, main, and footer as siblings.QDoes main help SEO?
AIndirectly.
<main> helps search engines and screen readers locate the body content quickly and skip nav and footer noise, improving content recognition. It is not a ranking factor but solid semantic infrastructure.🏷️ Related Tags
💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
📚 Related Tutorials
