cite

Provide a source URL for quoted or edited content. A semantic attribute on blockquote, del, and ins that is invisible to users but available to machines.

Overview

The cite attribute provides a URL pointing to the source document for quoted or edited content. It is a purely semantic annotation — browsers do not display the URL, and no link is created. The value is intended for search engines, content scrapers, and other tooling that processes structured content.

Important: This page documents the cite attribute, not the <cite> element. They serve different purposes.

Applies to:

<blockquote> — URL of the original source being quoted
<del> — URL of the document explaining the deletion
<ins> — URL of the document explaining the insertion

Values

Element	cite Value	Purpose
`<blockquote>`	URL	The source of the quoted text
`<del>`	URL	A document explaining the removal
`<ins>`	URL	A document explaining the addition

Blockquote Attribution

Use the cite attribute to record where a quote came from. Since browsers do not display it, always pair it with visible attribution for human readers.

<blockquote cite="https://www.w3.org/TR/html52/grouping-content.html#the-blockquote-element"> Content inside a blockquote must be quoted from another source, whose address, if it has one, may be cited in the cite attribute. </blockquote>  <figure> <blockquote cite="https://example.com/article"> The only way to do great work is to love what you do. </blockquote> <figcaption> — Steve Jobs, <cite><a href="https://example.com/article">Stanford Commencement Speech</a></cite> </figcaption> </figure>

The <figure> + <figcaption> pattern is the recommended way to add visible attribution to a blockquote, with the <cite> element wrapping the work title inside the caption.

Edit Documentation

On <del> and <ins>, the cite attribute points to a changelog, ticket, or document explaining why the edit was made. Pair it with datetime for a complete edit record.

Our hours are <del cite="https://example.com/changelog#hours-update" datetime="2024-06-01">9 AM to 5 PM</del> <ins cite="https://example.com/changelog#hours-update" datetime="2024-06-01">8 AM to 6 PM</ins>.

Visible vs Hidden Attribution

The cite attribute is not rendered by any browser. If attribution matters to your users, you must provide it as visible content. The attribute alone is not enough for humans.

<blockquote cite="https://example.com/interview"> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. </blockquote> — Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, from <a href="https://example.com/interview">The Design of Everyday Things</a>

Attribute vs Element

HTML has both a cite attribute and a <cite> element. They are related but different.

Feature	`cite` Attribute	`<cite>` Element
What it holds	A URL	The title of a work
Visible	No	Yes (rendered in italics by default)
Used on	`<blockquote>`, `<del>`, `<ins>`	Inline, anywhere
Purpose	Machine-readable source link	Human-readable work title

<blockquote cite="https://example.com/paper.pdf"> Research indicates a 40% improvement in outcomes. </blockquote>  As discussed in <cite>The Design of Everyday Things</cite>, affordances shape user behavior.

Accessibility

Screen readers do not announce the cite attribute. It provides no direct benefit to assistive technology users.
Always include visible attribution (a link, author name, or work title) alongside the cite attribute so all users can identify the source.
The <cite> element is announced by screen readers as part of the normal text flow, making it the better choice for user-facing attribution.

Limitations

No browser renders the cite attribute value. It is completely invisible in the default rendering.
There is no built-in way for users to access the URL without inspecting the source code.
The value is not validated — any string is accepted, even invalid URLs.
The cite attribute is rarely used in practice because most developers are unaware of it or find its invisibility unhelpful.