HTML Checking for Large Sites

The <script> tag allows authors to include dynamic scripts and data blocks in their documents. When the src is present, this tag accepts a type attribute which must be either:

• an empty string
• text/javascript (that’s the default, so it can be omitted)
• module

Examples:

<!-- This is valid, without a type it defaults to JavaScript -->
<script src="app.js"></script>

<!-- This is valid, but will warn that it can be omitted -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="app.js"></script>

<!-- An empty attribute is valid, but will warn that it can be omitted -->
<script type="" src="app.js"></script>

<!-- The module keyword is also valid as a type -->
<script type="module" src="app.js"></script>

<!-- Any other type is invalid -->
<script type="wrong" src="app.js"></script>
<script type="text/html" src="app.js"></script>
<script type="image/jpeg" src="app.js"></script>

Learn more:

• HTML Spec: the script element
• MDN: the script element

A button element, or an element with the role=button attribute, is not allowed to be nested inside an <a> element.

An <a> element cannot contain a descendant element with the attribute tabindex.

Learn more:

• MDN: tabindex

The <textarea> element does not have a type attribute.

The HTML <textarea> element represents a multi-line plain-text editing control, and is useful when you want to allow users to enter a sizeable amount of free-form text, for example a comment on a review or feedback form.

Learn more:

• HTML Living Spec: textarea
• MDN: textarea

The value contact is not a valid option for the autocomplete attribute on an <input> element.

Learn more:

• HTML Spec: autocomplete

All HTML elements may have the hidden boolean attribute set. When specified on an element, it indicates that the element is not yet, or is no longer, relevant, so browsers won’t render it.

Boolean attributes don’t accept values, its presence represents the true value and its absence represents the false value.

<!-- This is invalid because the hidden attribute should not have a value set -->
<div hidden="false"></div>

<!-- The correct way to hide a div is like this -->
<div hidden>This will be hidden</div>

<!-- And to show the element, we just don't hide it -->
<div>This won't be hidden</div>

Read more:

• HTML Spec: the hidden attribute
• HTML Spec: boolean attributes

An <a> element has been found with an invalid href attribute, containing more than one # adjacent character.

The # is used to separate the fragment part of an URI (typically used to indicate a section within a document). For example, this is a valid link to a URI containing a fragment:

<a href="https://example.com/faqs#pricing">pricing</a>

The next example is invalid because it contains two adjacent # characters, so that the fragment part would be #pricing instead of pricing:

<a href="https://example.com/faqs##pricing">pricing</a>

Learn more:

• Wikipedia: URI fragment

The href attribute of an <a> element contains an invalid character, that should be properly encoded as a URI percent-encoded character.

Learn more:

• Wikipedia: percent-encoding

The src attribute on an <img> element contains an invalid character, that should be properly encoded as a URI percent-encoded character.

Learn more:

• Wikipedia: percent-encoding

The target attribute on <a> elements can’t be blank.

This attribute defines the browsing context for links, that is, where should the linked documents be opened. This was used extensively on the now deprecated <frame> element, so you could give the name of the frame to open the document in, but is now more used to force links to open in a separate tab or window using target="_blank". Another option is using a name, so the new browsing context can be referred to on subsequent clicks on links with the same target.

For example, this will force the links to open on a new tab:

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank">will open a blank tab</a>

Learn more:

• HTML Living Standard: Browsing context names

The href attribute on an a tag expects a valid URL, but only http:// was found.

<a> tags can be used to link to an email address using the mailto protocol in the href attribute. Ensure that there is no space in the email address.

<a href="mailto: liza@example.com">This is wrong as it contains an space</a>

<a href="mailto:liza@example.com">This is OK</a>

The value rocketlazyloadscript used in a <script> tag is not a valid one according to the HTML specification. It is introduced by the WP Rocket Wordpress extension.

Learn more:

• WP Rocket: W3C Validation errors
• HTML Spec: Script type
• MDN: Script element

Space characters are not allowed in href attributes. Instead, they should be converted to %20. In this example, the first line is invalid and the second is valid:

<a href="https://example.com#some term">invalid</a>
<a href="https://example.com#some%20term">valid</a>

The href attribute on an <a> tag contains an space, which is not allowed. Consider replacing space characters with “%20”.

The at symbol (@) should be percent-encoded as %40 in order to include it at an href attribute.

A <pattern> element has been found with an invalid ID. Check the format of the ID and ensure it does not start with a digit, full stop (.) or hyphen (-).

The <pattern> element is used within <svg> elements, which use XML 1.0 syntax. That syntax specifies that valid IDs only include designated characters (letters, digits, and a few punctuation marks), and do not start with a digit, a full stop (.) character, or a hyphen-minus (-) character.

Learn more:

• MDN: pattern element
• MDN: SVG id

The media attribute on a <link> element has not been recognized.

This attribute specified what media the linked resource is optimized for. As an example, the following will link a general stylesheet, and a specific one for printing:

<head>
  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="general.css">
  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="print.css" media="print">
</head>

Valid values for this attribute include:

all. Default, used for all media. print. Used for printers and print previews. * screen. Used for computer, tablets or smartphone screens.

Learn more:

* W3: Media Type

The value used in the target property of an <a> element has been identified as a keyword because it starts with an underscore _, but it’s not a valid keyword.

Values starting with an underscore for the target property are used for reserved keywords like _blank, _self, _parent or _top.

Learn more:

• HTML Spec: links created by a elements
• HTML Spec: valid browsing content or keyword

The type attribute on <a> elements, when present, gives a hint on the MIME type of the linked resource, for example:

<a href="application/pdf" src="book.pdf">Read our book</a>
<a href="image/jpeg" src="photo.jpeg">See a photo</a>

That is, we’re talking about the type of the linked resource, not the type of the <a> element, as it’s sometimes misunderstood. The following example is invalid because button is not a valid MIME type.

<a href="/order.php" type="button">Submit</a>

Learn more:

• HTML Spec: the type attribute

The value used to define the type of a link is not valid. You’re probably using a URL instead of a valid type.

Example of a valid type:

<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="favicon.png">

Read more:

• HTML Spec: link types

The specified type for an script element is not a valid MIME type as it’s missing a subtype.

A MIME type most-commonly consists of just two parts: a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (/) — with no whitespace between, for example:

text/javascript

Learn more:

• MDN: Structure of a MIME type
• HTML Spec: the script element
• MDN: the script element

input elements can be of different types but zip is not one of the allowed. Consider using a generic type like text instead.

The <a> element requires either a href attribute, or a role attribute.

Learn more:

• HTML Spec: the a element

An </a> end tag has been found to violate nesting rules. <a> tags can’t include other <a> tags inside. Most probable cause is an unclosed <a> tag, like in this example:

<a href="one.html">Page 1
<a href="two.html">Page 2</a>

An <a> tag can’t include other <a> tags inside. Most probable cause is an unclosed <a> tag, like in this example:

<a href="one.html">Page 1
<a href="two.html">Page 2</a>

An <a> element has been found in an invalid place within a <table> element.

For example, the following code would cause this issue:

<table>
  <tr>
    <a href="#">link</a>
  </tr>
</table>

Instead, the <a> element should be inside a <td> element, as a <tr> can’t hold content directly:

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <a href="#">link</a>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

A button element, or an element with the role=button attribute, is not allowed to be nested inside an <a> element.

A <label> tag can’t be used inside an <a> tag. Consider using other tags like <span>.

Links created with the <a> element no longer accept a shape attribute. In order to define image maps, use the <area> element instead.

Learn more:

• MDN: area element

The HTML <style> element contains style information for a document, or part of a document, defined in CSS. This element does not need the type attribute anymore, so it should be omitted.

For example, this style defines that <p> elements should be in red color.

<style type="text/css">
p {
  color: red;
}
</style>
<p>This text will be red.</p>

But, the type attribute is not used anymore, so we can just use this:

<style>
p {
  color: red;
}
</style>
<p>This text will be red.</p>

Read more:

MDN: The Style information element WordPress plugin: Type Attribute Warnings Removal

The default type for <script> tags is JavaScript, so you don’t need to include the type for JS resources.