HTML address: Contact Details for Article Authors and Site Operators

HTML <address> identifies contact information for the author or organization responsible for a document or individual article. It is not limited to postal addresses: it can include email, telephone, or a contact-page link. Do not use it merely for a location description or to wrap every address string.

Identify whose contact information it is

An address describes contact information for its nearest ancestor article. If there is no such article, it applies to the document represented by body. This lets you place an article author’s contact details and the site operator’s contact details in different scopes. Include the person’s or organization’s name so readers know who receives inquiries.

Complete example: article author and site operator

Save the following document as contacts.html and open it in a browser. The addresses use the example domain example.test; they are practice values without real recipients.

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Author and site contact details</title>
  <style>address { font-style: normal; }</style>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Example technology news</h1>
  <article>
    <h2>Guide to HTML document structure</h2>
    <p>Write the article content here.</p>
    <footer>
      <p>Published: <time datetime="2026-10-30">October 30, 2026</time></p>
      <address>
        Article author: Example Editorial Team<br>
        Email: <a href="mailto:editor@example.test">editor@example.test</a>
      </address>
    </footer>
  </article>
  <footer>
    <address>
      Site operator: Example Site Team<br>
      Email: <a href="mailto:site@example.test">site@example.test</a>
    </address>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

The editorial team’s contact information appears inside the article; the site team’s contact information appears outside it. The publication date is not contact information, so it is in a time element outside address. The CSS rule font-style: normal removes the default italic appearance while preserving the contact-information meaning.

A mailto link requests that the user’s mail-handling application open; this HTML does not send an email itself. In a real document, replace the example with a valid recipient and first confirm that the contact details can be public. The example addresses cannot receive actual inquiries.

Distinguish ordinary addresses and decorative italics

Do not automatically use address for a destination’s location or a delivery address when it is not contact information for the author or responsible party. Use an ordinary paragraph or list according to the context. The default italic styling is also not a reason to put emphasized statements in address.

Keep the content related to contact information. Do not include heading elements, article, section, header, footer, or another address inside address. If the contact section needs a heading, put it immediately before address. The MDN address reference explains the scope and content rules.