HTML5 Handbook

Table Head, Body & Footer in HTML (<thead>, <tbody>, <tfoot>)

When a table becomes large and complex, it is a good practice to divide it into three sections. This makes the table more organized, accessible, and SEO-friendly.

1. <thead> – Table Head

• Defines the heading section of a table.
• Usually contains one row with <th> (table header cells).
• Helps browsers, screen readers, and search engines understand the title of each column.

Example:

<table border="1">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Product</th>
      <th>Price</th>
      <th>Quantity</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
</table>

Output :

<tbody> – Table Body

• Contains the main content/data of the table.
• Holds multiple rows (<tr>) with data cells (<td>).
• Even if <tbody> is not written, browsers automatically treat all rows as part of the body.

Example:

<table border="1">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Laptop</td>
      <td>$800</td>
      <td>10</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Phone</td>
      <td>$500</td>
      <td>20</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Output :

<tfoot> – Table Footer

• Defines the footer section of the table.
• Usually contains summary rows (like totals, averages, or notes).
• Appears after <tbody> in HTML code but may be displayed at the bottom of the table.

Example:

<table border="1">
  <tfoot>
    <tr>
      <td colspan="2">Total Quantity</td>
      <td>30</td>
    </tr>
  </tfoot>
</table>

Output :

Complete Example with <thead>,<tbody>,<tfoot> :

<table border="1">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Product</th>
      <th>Price</th>
      <th>Quantity</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Laptop</td>
      <td>$800</td>
      <td>10</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Phone</td>
      <td>$500</td>
      <td>20</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
  <tfoot>
    <tr>
      <td colspan="2">Total Quantity</td>
      <td>30</td>
    </tr>
  </tfoot>
</table>

Output :