<dl>: The Description List element

The <dl> HTML element represents a description list. The element encloses a list of groups of terms (specified using the <dt> element) and descriptions (provided by <dd> elements). Common uses for this element are to implement a glossary or to display metadata (a list of key-value pairs).

Try it

Attributes

This element only includes the global attributes.

Accessibility

Each screen reader exposes <dl> content differently, including total count, terms/definitions context, and navigation methods. These differences are not necessarily bugs. As of iOS 14, VoiceOver will announce that <dl> content is a list when navigating with the virtual cursor (not via the read-all command). VoiceOver does not support list navigation commands with <dl>. Be careful applying ARIA term and definition roles to <dl> constructs as VoiceOver (macOS and iOS) will adjust how they are announced.

Examples

Single term and description

html

<dl>
  <dt>Firefox</dt>
  <dd>
    A free, open source, cross-platform, graphical web browser developed by the
    Mozilla Corporation and hundreds of volunteers.
  </dd>

  <!-- Other terms and descriptions -->
</dl>

Result

Multiple terms, single description

html

<dl>
  <dt>Firefox</dt>
  <dt>Mozilla Firefox</dt>
  <dt>Fx</dt>
  <dd>
    A free, open source, cross-platform, graphical web browser developed by the
    Mozilla Corporation and hundreds of volunteers.
  </dd>

  <!-- Other terms and descriptions -->
</dl>

Result

Single term, multiple descriptions

html

<dl>
  <dt>Firefox</dt>
  <dd>
    A free, open source, cross-platform, graphical web browser developed by the
    Mozilla Corporation and hundreds of volunteers.
  </dd>
  <dd>
    The Red Panda also known as the Lesser Panda, Wah, Bear Cat or Firefox, is a
    mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (60 cm long).
  </dd>

  <!-- Other terms and descriptions -->
</dl>

Result

Multiple terms and descriptions

It is also possible to define multiple terms with multiple corresponding descriptions, by combining the examples above.

Metadata

Description lists are useful for displaying metadata as a list of key-value pairs.

html

<dl>
  <dt>Name</dt>
  <dd>Godzilla</dd>
  <dt>Born</dt>
  <dd>1952</dd>
  <dt>Birthplace</dt>
  <dd>Japan</dd>
  <dt>Color</dt>
  <dd>Green</dd>
</dl>

Result

Tip: It can be handy to define a key-value separator in the CSS, such as:

css

dt::after {
  content: ": ";
}

Wrapping name-value groups in `div` elements

HTML allows wrapping each name-value group in a <dl> element in a <div> element. This can be useful when using microdata, or when global attributes apply to a whole group, or for styling purposes.

html

<dl>
  <div>
    <dt>Name</dt>
    <dd>Godzilla</dd>
  </div>
  <div>
    <dt>Born</dt>
    <dd>1952</dd>
  </div>
  <div>
    <dt>Birthplace</dt>
    <dd>Japan</dd>
  </div>
  <div>
    <dt>Color</dt>
    <dd>Green</dd>
  </div>
</dl>

Result

Notes

Do not use this element (nor <ul> elements) to merely create indentation on a page. Although it works, this is a bad practice and obscures the meaning of description lists.

To change the indentation of a description term, use the CSS margin property.

Technical summary

Content categories	Flow content, and if the `<dl>` element's children include one name-value group, palpable content.
Permitted content	Either: Zero or more groups each consisting of one or more `<dt>` elements followed by one or more `<dd>` elements, optionally intermixed with `<script>` and `<template>` elements. Or: (in WHATWG HTML, W3C HTML 5.2 and later) One or more `<div>` elements, optionally intermixed with `<script>` and `<template>` elements.
Tag omission	None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory.
Permitted parents	Any element that accepts flow content.
Implicit ARIA role	No corresponding role
Permitted ARIA roles	`group`, `list`, `none`, `presentation`
DOM interface	`HTMLDListElement`

Specifications

Specification
HTML Standard # the-dl-element

Browser compatibility

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