HTML <frame> Tag

Q: What was the HTML frame tag used for?

The frame element defined individual panes inside a frameset, each loading a separate HTML document in a split browser window layout.

Q: Is the frame tag still valid in HTML5?

No. frame and frameset are obsolete and removed from the HTML5 specification. Modern browsers do not support framesets in HTML5 documents.

Q: What replaced the frame tag?

Use iframe to embed external pages inline, and CSS grid or flexbox to create split layouts. This is the modern HTML5 approach.

Q: What is the difference between frame and iframe?

frame was used inside frameset to split the entire window and is obsolete. iframe embeds content inside a page and is valid HTML5.

Q: Should beginners use the frame tag?

No. Beginners should learn iframe and CSS layout. Study frame only to recognize legacy HTML and maintain very old codebases.

Beginner

⏱️ 5 min read

📚 Updated: Jun 2026

🎯 4 Examples

Embedded (Legacy)

HTML frame tag tutorial — legacy framesets and iframe alternatives

Overview

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll understand legacy frame markup and the modern iframe and CSS techniques that replaced it.

The HTML <frame> tag was used to create frameset layouts that split a browser window into multiple panes. This guide covers historical syntax, attributes, and why you should use iframe and CSS in all new projects.

Historical Syntax

How <frame> worked inside frameset.

Obsolete Status

Why HTML5 removed frames entirely.

Key Attributes

src, name, scrolling, noresize.

frame vs iframe

Window-splitting vs inline embedding.

iframe Replacement

Modern HTML5 pattern for embedded content.

Legacy Maintenance

Recognize frames in old HTML tutorials.

Fundamentals

What Was the `<frame>` Tag?

The frame element (<frame>) defined individual panes within a <frameset> layout. Each frame loaded a separate HTML document, allowing developers to display multiple pages simultaneously in one browser window.

⚠️

Obsolete in HTML5 — Use iframe + CSS

Do not use <frame> or <frameset> in new projects. Modern browsers do not support framesets in HTML5 documents. Use iframe and CSS grid or flexbox instead.

Frames caused accessibility, bookmarking, and SEO problems. HTML5 removed them entirely. Learn frame to read legacy code, but build layouts with contemporary tools.

Foundation

📝 Syntax (Historical)

The <frame> tag was placed inside <frameset>, not inside the body of a normal HTML5 page:

syntax.html

<frameset cols="25%,75%">
  <frame src="sidebar.html" name="sidebar">
  <frame src="content.html" name="main">
</frameset>

Syntax Rules

frame must be a direct child of frameset (not of body).
frame is a void element — no closing tag in HTML syntax.
Use cols or rows on frameset to define pane sizes.
Include noframes fallback content for browsers without frame support.

Cheat Sheet

⚡ Quick Reference

Pattern	Code Snippet	Notes
Two columns	`<frameset cols="50%,50%">`	Obsolete layout
Two rows	`<frameset rows="50%,50%">`	Horizontal split
Load document	`<frame src="page.html">`	Each pane = separate page
Named frame	`name="mainFrame"`	Target for links
Modern replacement	`<iframe src="...">`	Valid HTML5 embed
HTML5 status	Obsolete	Removed from specification

Comparison

⚖️ `<frame>` vs `<iframe>`

Both load external documents, but only iframe fits modern HTML:

Feature	<frame>	<iframe>
HTML5 status	Obsolete	Valid, widely used
Parent element	`frameset`	Any flow content (e.g. `div`)
Layout scope	Splits entire browser window	Embeds inline in one page
Accessibility	Poor (removed for good reason)	Supports `title`, focus, sandbox

Comparison

⚖️ `<frame>` and `<frameset>`

These legacy elements worked together as a split-window layout:

Element	Role	When used (historical)
`<frameset>`	Layout container	Define columns or rows for the window
`<frame>`	Individual pane	Load one HTML document per pane
`<noframes>`	Fallback content	Message when frames unsupported
Today	Use CSS grid + iframe instead

Reference

🧰 Attributes

The <frame> tag had these historical attributes. All are obsolete in HTML5:

src Required

URL of the HTML document to display in the frame pane.

src="content.html"

name Navigation

Name used as a link target (target="frameName" on anchors).

name="mainFrame"

scrolling Deprecated

Control scrollbars: auto, yes, or no.

scrolling="auto"

noresize Boolean

Prevent users from dragging frame borders to resize panes.

noresize

attributes.html

<frame src="content.html" name="mainFrame" scrolling="auto" noresize>

The entire frame element is obsolete. Use iframe with title and optional sandbox in new projects.

Hands-On

Examples Gallery

Historical frame patterns plus the modern iframe replacement. Legacy examples are for learning only—do not use in new code.

Live Preview

Visual mockup of how a two-column frameset layout looked (modern browsers no longer render framesets):

content.html Main page content

Creating Frameset Layouts

The primary purpose of <frame> was to divide a window into multiple panes using frameset.

⚠️ Obsolete tags — for learning only.

creating-frameset-layouts.html

<frameset rows="50%,50%">
  <frame src="topContent.html" name="topFrame">
  <frame src="bottomContent.html" name="bottomFrame">
</frameset>

Try It Yourself

📚 Common Use Cases (Historical)

Developers once used <frame> for fixed navigation sidebars, split documentation views, and embedding external pages in a pane. Today use CSS layout with iframe, server-side includes, or a single-page application architecture instead.

Frame Attributes

Control scrolling, resizing, and the document loaded in each pane with frame attributes.

attributes.html

<frame src="content.html" name="mainFrame" scrolling="auto" noresize>

Try It Yourself

Embedding External Content

Frames could load external URLs in a pane. The same idea today uses iframe inside a normal page.

embedding-external-content.html

<!-- Historical (obsolete) -->
<frame src="https://example.com" name="externalFrame">

<!-- Modern replacement -->
<iframe src="https://example.com" title="Example site"></iframe>

Try It Yourself

Modern iframe Replacement

Use CSS grid with iframe elements to achieve split layouts in valid HTML5.

iframe-replacement.html

<div class="split-layout">
  <iframe src="sidebar.html" title="Sidebar"></iframe>
  <iframe src="content.html" title="Main content"></iframe>
</div>

Try It Yourself

Design

Modern Layout Replacement (CSS + iframe)

Replace frameset splits with CSS grid and iframe panes:

grid Split columns/rows

iframe Embed each pane

title Accessibility label

sandbox Restrict embedded content

split-layout.css

/* Modern split layout (replaces frameset) */
.split-layout {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 25% 75%;
  gap: 0.5rem;
  min-height: 400px;
}

.split-layout iframe {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  border: 1px solid #cbd5e1;
  border-radius: 6px;
}

Live CSS + iframe split

A11y

♿ Accessibility

Frames were removed partly due to accessibility failures:

Do not use frame — screen readers struggled with frameset navigation and focus.
Use iframe with title — always add a descriptive title on iframe elements.
Prefer single-page layouts — one document with semantic landmarks is easier to navigate.
Consider sandbox — restrict third-party iframe capabilities when embedding external content.

🧠 How <frame> Worked

Author defined a frameset

frameset split the window into columns or rows.

Markup

Each frame loaded a document

src pointed to a separate HTML page per pane.

Rendering

HTML5 replaced frames

iframe and CSS layouts solved the same problems without breaking UX.

Evolution

Today: use iframe + CSS

Learn frame for history. Build with iframe and grid in all new projects.

Compatibility

Browser Support

<frame> and <frameset> are obsolete and not supported in HTML5 documents. Modern browsers will not render frameset layouts.

⚠ Obsolete · Use iframe + CSS

Not supported in HTML5

Frame and frameset were removed from the HTML5 specification. Legacy IE supported them, but current Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge do not render framesets in modern documents.

95% Legacy reference

Google Chrome Not in HTML5 · Obsolete

Not supported

Mozilla Firefox Not in HTML5 · Obsolete

Not supported

Apple Safari Not in HTML5 · Obsolete

Not supported

Microsoft Edge Not in HTML5 · Obsolete

Not supported

Internet Explorer Legacy support · EOL

Legacy only

Opera Not in HTML5 · Obsolete

Not supported

Modern replacements

Use these HTML5 approaches instead of frame and frameset.

🔗

iframe Embed external pages inline with title and sandbox

Replacement

🛠

CSS Grid / Flexbox Split layout without multiple top-level documents

Modern

<frame> tag 95% legacy reference

Bottom line: Do not use <frame> in new projects. Use <iframe> and CSS for modern split layouts and embedded content.

Wrap Up

Conclusion

While the <frame> tag played a significant role in early web development, its usage is not recommended today. Frame and frameset are obsolete, break accessibility, and are unsupported in HTML5 documents.

Adopt iframe for embedded content and CSS grid or flexbox for split layouts. Plan migrations if you maintain very old frame-based codebases.

View Examples Gallery Try iframe replacement

Pro Tips

💡 Best Practices

✅ Do

Use iframe for inline embedded content
Use CSS grid or flexbox for split layouts
Add title on every iframe
Learn frame only for legacy code maintenance

❌ Don’t

Use frame or frameset in new projects
Split your entire site into multiple frame documents
Embed external sites without considering security
Assume frames work in modern HTML5 pages

Summary

Key Takeaways

Knowledge Unlocked

Six truths every developer should know about `<frame>`

Bookmark these before you ship — they’ll keep you on modern HTML standards.

Core concepts

⚠️ 01

Obsolete Tag

<frame> is removed from HTML5.

Legacy

🗂️ 02

Needs frameset

Frame was always inside frameset.

Structure

🔗 03

Use iframe

Modern inline embed replacement.

Replacement

🛠 04

CSS Layout

Grid/flexbox replaces window splits.

Modern

♿ 05

A11y Failures

Frames broke navigation and SEO.

Accessibility

🌐 06

Not in HTML5

Modern browsers skip framesets.

Compatibility

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What was the HTML frame tag used for?

It defined individual panes inside a frameset, each loading a separate HTML document in a split browser window.

Is the frame tag still valid in HTML5?

No. frame and frameset are obsolete and removed from the HTML5 specification.

What replaced the frame tag?

Use iframe to embed content inline and CSS grid or flexbox for split layouts.

What is the difference between frame and iframe?

frame split the entire window via frameset (obsolete). iframe embeds content inside a page and is valid HTML5.

Should beginners use the frame tag?

No. Beginners should learn iframe and CSS layout. Study frame only to read legacy HTML.

Build Modern Layouts

Replace obsolete frames with iframe and CSS grid in the interactive HTML editor.

Try iframe replacement →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

6 people found this page helpful

HTML form Tag HTML frameset Tag

HTML <frame> Tag

What You’ll Learn

Historical Syntax

Obsolete Status

Key Attributes

frame vs iframe

iframe Replacement

Legacy Maintenance

What Was the <frame> Tag?

📝 Syntax (Historical)

Syntax Rules

⚡ Quick Reference

⚖️ <frame> vs <iframe>

⚖️ <frame> and <frameset>

🧰 Attributes

Examples Gallery

Live Preview

Creating Frameset Layouts

📚 Common Use Cases (Historical)

Frame Attributes

Embedding External Content

Modern iframe Replacement

Modern Layout Replacement (CSS + iframe)

♿ Accessibility

🧠 How <frame> Worked

Author defined a frameset

Each frame loaded a document

HTML5 replaced frames

Today: use iframe + CSS

Browser Support

Not supported in HTML5

Modern replacements

Conclusion

💡 Best Practices

✅ Do

❌ Don’t

Key Takeaways

Six truths every developer should know about <frame>

Obsolete Tag

Needs frameset

Use iframe

CSS Layout

A11y Failures

Not in HTML5

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🧩 Related HTML Topics

HTML <form> Tag

HTML <frameset> Tag

HTML <embed> Tag

Try iframe replacement

Build Modern Layouts

About the author

What Was the `<frame>` Tag?

⚖️ `<frame>` vs `<iframe>`

⚖️ `<frame>` and `<frameset>`

Six truths every developer should know about `<frame>`