<object>: The OBJECT Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<object>The OBJECT Element
A generic container for embedded resources (PDF, image, Flash, SVG…) with param children and fallback content.
| Category | Scripts & Embedding |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Flow content |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts flow content |
| Content Tag | Yes — requires closing </object> tag |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<object data="file.pdf" type="application/pdf"></object>⚙️ Attributes
This element supports the global attributes plus the following:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
data | URL of the resource to embed. | |
type | MIME type of the resource. | |
name | Name used in forms or scripts. | |
width | Width of the embedded area. | |
height | Height of the embedded area. |
▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <object> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： object is more general than iframe and shows inner content as fallback; modern pages often prefer iframe.
❓ FAQ
QHow do I write fallback content for object?
APut it between the
<object> tags: if the resource fails to load, the children render. For example a download link when PDF embedding fails: <object data='a.pdf' type='application/pdf'><p><a href='a.pdf'>Download the PDF</a></p></object>. This is object's core advantage over embed.QCan object be nested?
AYes, forming a fallback chain: if the outer object fails, the inner one tries, with plain text as the last resort. A classic plugin-era pattern still usable for multi-format document fallbacks — but keep the chain short.
Qobject or iframe for embedding a web page?
AFor HTML pages, both behave similarly, but
<iframe> is the purpose-built standard element: mature ecosystem, complete docs, consistent behavior. Object has legacy quirks and poor cross-document interaction — always choose iframe for web pages.🏷️ Related Tags
💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
📚 Related Tutorials
