HTML <area> tag
The <area> tag is used to set an area inside an imagemap. An imagemap is an image with a few different clickable regions that when clicked on will link to different places. The <area> tag is used to set the coordinates for these regions as well as where they link to.
You can see a full imagemap example at our HTML <map> tag reference page.
NOTE: The <area> tag should always be placed inside a <map> tag.
NOTE: The <area> tag has no closing tag.
Attributes
| Attribute | Possible values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| alt | altText | Required. Sets alternative text for a particular area of an imagemap in case the image does not load |
| coords | theCoords | Denotes a set of coordinates for a link |
| href | url | Denotes the location that a set of coordinates will link to |
| nohref | nohref | Specifies that a set of coordinates does not link to anything |
| shape | rect, circle, poly | Denotes the shape for a set of coordinates |
| target | _blank, _self, _parent, _top | Denotes where a link will open |
Standard attributes
accesskey, class, dir, id, lang, style, tabindex, title, xml:lang
For more information on standard attributes, check out our HTML standard attributes reference page.
Event attributes
onblur, onclick, ondblclick, onfocus, onmousedown, onmousemove, onmouseout, onmouseover, onmouseup, onkeydown, onkeypress, onkeyup
For more information on event attributes, check out our HTML event attributes reference page.
Example
Tips & notes
To figure out a set of coordinates to use as part of an imagemap use an image manipulation program like Photoshop or GIMP
If you're going to use an imagemap to link to external pages (pages not on your own website) it is better to have them open in a new window so attention is not fully diverted from your website.