---
title: dir
slug: Web/HTML/Global_attributes/dir
translation_of: Web/HTML/Global_attributes/dir
---
<div>{{HTMLSidebar("Global_attributes")}}</div>

<p>The <code><strong>dir</strong></code> <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Global_attributes">global attribute</a> is an enumerated attribute that indicates the directionality of the element's text.</p>

<div>{{EmbedInteractiveExample("pages/tabbed/attribute-dir.html","tabbed-standard")}}</div>

<p class="hidden">The source for this interactive example is stored in a GitHub repository. If you'd like to contribute to the interactive examples project, please clone <a href="https://github.com/mdn/interactive-examples">https://github.com/mdn/interactive-examples </a> and send us a pull request.</p>

<p>Он может иметь следующие значения:</p>

<ul>
 <li><code>ltr</code>, which means <em>left to right </em>and is to be used for languages that are written from the left to the right (like English);</li>
 <li><code>rtl</code>, which means <em>right to left</em> and is to be used for languages that are written from the right to the left (like Arabic);</li>
 <li><code>auto</code>, which lets the user agent decide. It uses a basic algorithm as it parses the characters inside the element until it finds a character with a strong directionality, then applies that directionality to the whole element.</li>
</ul>

<div class="note">
<p><strong>Usage notes:</strong> This attribute is mandatory for the {{ HTMLElement("bdo") }} element where it has a different semantic meaning.</p>

<ul>
 <li>
  <p>This attribute is <em>not</em> inherited by the {{ HTMLElement("bdi") }} element. If not set, its value is <code>auto</code>.</p>
 </li>
 <li>
  <p>This attribute can be overridden by the CSS properties {{ cssxref("direction") }} and {{ cssxref("unicode-bidi") }}, if a CSS page is active and the element supports these properties.</p>
 </li>
 <li>
  <p>As the directionality of the text is semantically related to its content and not to its presentation, it is recommended that web developers use this attribute instead of the related CSS properties when possible. That way, the text will display correctly even on a browser that doesn't support CSS or has the CSS deactivated.</p>
 </li>
 <li>
  <p>The <code>auto</code> value should be used for data with an unknown directionality, like data coming from user input, eventually stored in a database.</p>
 </li>
</ul>
</div>

<div class="note">
<p>Browsers might allow users to change the directionality of {{ HTMLElement("input") }} and {{ HTMLElement("textarea") }}s in order to assist with authoring content. Chrome and Safari provide a directionality option in the contextual menu of input fields while Internet Explorer and Edge use the key combinations <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Left Shift</kbd> and <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Right Shift</kbd>. Firefox uses <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>/<kbd>Cmd</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>X</kbd> but does NOT update the <code><strong>dir</strong></code> attribute value.</p>
</div>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML WHATWG', "dom.html#the-dir-attribute", "dir")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML WHATWG')}}</td>
   <td>No change from latest snapshot, {{SpecName('HTML5.1')}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML5.1', "dom.html#the-dir-attribute", "dir")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML5.1')}}</td>
   <td>Snapshot of {{SpecName('HTML WHATWG')}}, no change from {{SpecName('HTML5 W3C')}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML5 W3C', "dom.html#the-dir-attribute", "dir")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML5 W3C')}}</td>
   <td>Snapshot of {{SpecName('HTML WHATWG')}}, from {{SpecName('HTML4.01')}} it added the <code>auto</code> value, and is now a true global attribute.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML4.01', "dirlang.html#h-8.2", "dir")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML4.01')}}</td>
   <td>Supported on all elements but {{HTMLElement("applet")}}, {{HTMLElement("base")}}, {{HTMLElement("basefont")}}, {{HTMLElement("bdo")}}, {{HTMLElement("br")}}, {{HTMLElement("frame")}}, {{HTMLElement("frameset")}}, {{HTMLElement("iframe")}}, {{HTMLElement("param")}}, and {{HTMLElement("script")}}.</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>



<p>{{Compat("html.global_attributes.dir")}}</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li>All <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Global_attributes">global attributes</a>.</li>
 <li>{{domxref("HTMLElement.dir")}} that reflects this attribute.</li>
</ul>