HTML <noembed> Element

The <noembed> element was historically used to provide alternative content for browsers that could not display content included with the <embed> element. It was commonly associated with browser plugins and other embedded content used on older webpages.

Obsolete Element: The <noembed> element must not be used in new HTML. Modern HTML provides standardized media and embedding elements with more appropriate methods for supplying alternative or fallback content.

Historical Syntax

Older webpages could contain markup similar to the following:

<embed src="animation.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash">

<noembed>
  <p>Your browser cannot display the embedded content.</p>
</noembed>

A browser that supported the embedded resource could display it, while <noembed> supplied alternative content for browsers that could not use the embedded content. This code is shown for historical reference only and should not be used in modern HTML.

Attributes

The <noembed> element did not have any standardized element-specific attributes. Its purpose came from the alternative content placed between its opening and closing tags.

Historical Use

The <noembed> element developed during a period when webpages frequently depended on browser plugins and proprietary technologies for multimedia. The <embed> element could load this external content, but not every browser or computer necessarily had the software required to display it.

Authors could use <noembed> to provide a message, alternative information, or another resource for visitors who could not access the embedded content. This was particularly useful when browser capabilities and installed plugins varied considerably between visitors.

The element was closely associated with the early use of <embed>, which itself began as a non-standard browser extension before eventually becoming a standardized HTML element.

Why It Became Obsolete

The <noembed> element was created for an older model of web multimedia that relied heavily on browser plugins and proprietary embedded content. Modern browsers and HTML provide standardized ways to display audio, video, images, and other resources without depending on those older plugin systems.

Modern elements also provide their own methods for supplying alternative content. For example, the <video> and <audio> elements can contain fallback text, while the <object> element can contain fallback HTML when its external resource cannot be used.

Because fallback handling can now be provided by the element appropriate to the type of content being embedded, a separate <noembed> element is no longer needed.

Modern Alternative

There is no single replacement for <noembed>. The correct modern approach depends on the type of resource being included in the page.

For video, fallback information can be placed directly inside the <video> element:

<video controls>
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  Your browser does not support the video element.
</video>

For an external resource that requires fallback HTML, the <object> element can contain alternative content:

<object data="document.pdf" type="application/pdf">
  <p>This document cannot be displayed in your browser.</p>
</object>

When using <embed>, authors should not rely on <noembed> for fallback content. Instead, choose an embedding method appropriate to the resource and provide accessible alternatives as part of the page design.

Legacy Browser Support

The <noembed> element may still be recognized by browsers for compatibility with older webpages, but it is obsolete and must not be relied upon in modern HTML. Browser recognition of old markup does not make the element conforming or suitable for new webpages.

Existing <noembed> content should be reviewed when older webpages are updated. Any useful alternative information should be preserved using the fallback or accessibility method appropriate to the modern replacement for the embedded resource.

For detailed legacy browser compatibility information, see Can I Use: HTML <noembed> Element .

The modern <embed> element embeds external content, while the <object> element can provide fallback HTML. The <video> and <audio> elements provide standardized methods for multimedia content.

Specifications

The <noembed> element is listed as an entirely obsolete, non-conforming feature in the WHATWG HTML Living Standard . Authors should use modern embedding and fallback techniques instead.

HTML <noembed> Element