HTML <template> Tag

The <template> is used to store HTML code fragments, which can be cloned and inserted in an HTML document.

The content of the tag is hidden from users being stored on the client-side. It is inert until activated using JavaScript.

The browser processes the content of the <template> element while loading the page to ensure that the code is valid.

Templates can be placed anywhere inside of <head>, <body>, or <frameset> and can contain any type of content which is allowed in those elements.

The <template> tag is a new element in HTML5.

Everything within the <template> element is parsed like regular HTML. However, there are some exceptions:

It doesn't get rendered.
The <script> tags within it don't get run.
The <style> tags within it don't get evaluated.
External resources are not rendered.
Content within this element is not considered to be in the document. If the document.getElementById() or querySelector() is used in the main page, the child nodes of a template won't be turned back.

Syntax

The <template> tag comes in pairs. The content is written between the opening (<template>) and closing (</template>) tags.

Example of the HTML <template> tag:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Title of the document</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>This is a heading.</h1>
    <p>
     <q>If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.</q>
      ― Mark Twain
    </p>
    <template>
      <h2>This is a second heading.</h2>
      <p>
        “I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”
        ― Marilyn Monroe
      </p>
    </template>
  </body>
</html>

Try it Yourself »

Example of the HTML <template> tag used with JavaScript:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Title of the document</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <template id="myTemplate">
      <p>Template content</p>
    </template>
    <div id="normalContent">
      <p>First paragraph</p>
    </div>
    <!-- JavaScript function clones the template and adds it to the document. -->
    <button onclick="useTemplate();">Show content</button>
    <script>
      function useTemplate() {
      var myTemplate = document.getElementById('myTemplate');
          normalContent = document.getElementById('normalContent');
          clonedTemplate = myTemplate.content.cloneNode(true);
          normalContent.appendChild(clonedTemplate);
          }
    </script>
  </body>
</html>