META

<META
CONTENT=string
HTTP-EQUIV=string
ID=string
NAME=string
TITLE=string
URL=string
>

Provides information about an HTML document to browsers, search engines, and other applications.

CONTENT=

Specifies meta-information to be associated with the given name or HTTP response header.

HTTP-EQUIV=

Used to bind the CONTENT= of the element to an HTTP response header.

ID=

An SGML identifier used as the target for hypertext links or for naming particular elements in associated style sheets. Valid names to script with are any alphanumeric string that begins with a letter. Valid special characters include underbar "_".

NAME=

Specifies the name of the control, bookmark, or applet.

TITLE=

The Title attribute is used to provide advisory information.

URL=

If a URL is specifies, the URL will be loaded after the specified time has elapsed.

This element may only be used within the HEAD tag.

The start tag is required, and the end tag is optional.

The value of the CONTENT= attribute depends on the HTTP-EQUIV= attribute. The following lists some of these values.

HTTP-EQUIV CONTENT

REFRESH delay[;url]

The delay is the number of seconds that the browser waits before reloading a document. The optional url specifies the document to reload. If no url is given, the browser reloads the current document.

Content-Type text/html; CHARSET=character-set

The character-set specifies one of the character set aliases listed in HTML Character Sets (Charsets) and Named Entities.

Examples

The following example sets the character set for the document.

<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type"

CONTENT="text/html; CHARSET=Windows-1251">

The following example causes the browser to reload the document every two seconds.

<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT=2>

The following example causes the browser to load the new document, http://www.sample.com/next.asp, after a five second delay.

<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT="5; URL=http://www.sample.com/next.asp">

The following example causes the server to include the given content in the HTTP response to a GET or HEAD request for the document.

<META HTTP-EQUIV="Expires"

CONTENT="Tue, 04 Dec 1996 21:29:02 GMT">

<meta http-equiv="Keywords" CONTENT="HTML, Reference">

<META HTTP-EQUIV="Reply-to"

content="anybody@microsoft.com">

The HTTP response includes the following header fields.

Expires: Tue, 04 Dec 1996 21:29:02 GMT

Keywords: HTML, Reference

Reply-to: anybody@microsoft.com