The <address> Element
The <address> element indicates that the enclosed HTML provides contact information for a person or people, or for an organization.
You can contact the author at webmaster@simpleaccess.io.
SimpleAccess HQ
123 Accessibility Way, Internet City
<address>
Contact us at <a href="mailto:hi@example.com">hi@example.com</a>.<br>
SimpleAccess HQ
</address>
View HTML Living Standard: The address element
Usage Rules & Best Practices
- Contact Info Only: It should only contain contact information. It is not for general postal addresses that are unrelated to the page's contact info.
- Scope: If it's inside an
<article>, it applies to that article. If it's in the<body>(often in a footer), it applies to the document as a whole. - Prohibited Content: It may not contain heading elements, sectioning content (like
<nav>), or another<address>element.
WCAG Requirement: Semantic Meaning
Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Level A): Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text.
Using <address> allows assistive technologies to identify contact information as a specific landmark or container, aiding navigation and discovery for users.
Visual Presentation
By default, most browsers render the content of an <address> element in italics. However, according to the SMACSS Base Rules, we often reset this to normal to maintain better control over our typography modules.
address {
font-style: normal;
}