<del> Deleted text
Text that was removed from the document. Struck through by default.
<del> marks text removed from a document, as in a changelog, an edited article or a to-do list. Browsers strike it through.
The replacement goes in an <ins> next to it. With datetime and cite you can record when and why the change happened. Information that is merely out of date, like an old price, fits <s> better.
The del element in the WHATWG standard (opens in a new tab) documents the cite and datetime attributes for recording why and when. Its partner is the ins element.
Syntax
<del datetime="2026-10-22">removed text</del>When to use it
When you edit a published document and want the removal to stay visible, reach for <del>: a correction in a news article, a changed clause in terms of service, an edit history on a wiki page, or a removed item in a shared agenda. Pair it with ins for the replacement text.
If the content is simply out of date, like a past price, s is the better choice, because nothing was edited. If you do not need to show the old text, just delete it from the page.
Structure limits where del can go. It can wrap whole paragraphs, but it cannot wrap list items or table rows, because ul only allows li children and tables only allow rows in their sections. Put del inside the li or the td instead. Also avoid one del that starts in the middle of one paragraph and ends in another; the standard discourages that because the result is confusing for tools and readers.
Attributes
| Attribute | What it does |
|---|---|
cite | URL explaining the change. |
datetime | When the text was removed. |
Live example
Edit the code and watch the preview.
<p>The meeting is on <del datetime="2026-04-01">Monday</del> <ins datetime="2026-04-01">Tuesday</ins>.</p>More examples
Correction note in an article
A published article corrects a wrong figure. del and ins show the change, both carry the date of the edit, and a visible note explains it in words. The note matters because many screen readers do not announce del.
<article>
<h2>Bakery sells record number of loaves</h2>
<p>The bakery sold <del datetime="2026-10-22">5,000</del> <ins datetime="2026-10-22">3,500</ins> loaves in one weekend.</p>
<p><small>Correction, 22 October 2026: an earlier version gave the wrong total.</small></p>
</article>Removing a whole paragraph
del is transparent, so it can wrap a full paragraph when the whole block was removed. The struck-out paragraph stays readable for anyone checking the change. The replacement rule follows as a normal paragraph.
<h2>Delivery terms</h2>
<p>We deliver Monday to Friday.</p>
<del datetime="2026-10-01">
<p>Orders over $50 are delivered free of charge.</p>
</del>
<p>Delivery costs $4 per order.</p>Tip: Show an edit with del and ins together.
Browser support
del arrived in HTML 4 and works in all browsers, drawn with a line through the text by default. Its datetime and cite attributes are valid but not displayed by any mainstream browser, so show important dates in visible text as well.
Accessibility
Plenty of screen readers stay silent about del. When the change matters, add visually hidden text such as deleted:, or describe it in words. Why changes shown through styling need a text equivalent is covered in the W3C note Understanding Info and Relationships (opens in a new tab).
Common mistakes
Wrong
<del>Price: $20</del>Right
<s>Price: $20</s> Price: $15An outdated price is no longer accurate (s). It is not a document edit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I show edits to a document in HTML?
Removed content goes in <del>, added content in <ins>. Both take a datetime attribute for when the change was made and a cite attribute with a URL that explains it. By default deleted text gets a line through it and inserted text is underlined, and CSS can restyle both. Wikipedia's article on diff (opens in a new tab) tools shows how such changes are usually displayed.
Should I use del or s for a crossed-out price?
<s>, if the old price is no longer accurate but stays on display for comparison. <del> is for recording an edit to the document, such as a corrected statement in an article or a finished to-do item that was removed. By default you cannot tell them apart visually.