HTML <center>

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CBID2
Published Mar 17, 2022Updated Aug 13, 2023
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The <center> element was used historically to center content, usually text, within its containing elements.

Note: This element has since been deprecated and removed from the HTML specification. While some browsers might support it for backwards compatibility, it should no longer be used. The current practice in HTML is to use the CSS property text-align to center text and to use properties of the CSS box model to center other elements.

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Syntax

<center><!-- text or other element to center goes here --></center>

<center> was typically found as a child of the <body> element to center elements on the page.

Example

Historical use:

<!-- Don't use this! -->
<center>
  This is centered text.
  <p>This is a centered paragraph</p>
</center>

The modern alternative is using a <div> element, instead:

<!-- Use this, instead. :) -->
<div style="text-align:center;">
  This is centered text.
  <p>This is a centered paragraph</p>
</div>

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  • Career path

    Front-End Engineer

    Front-end engineers work closely with designers to make websites beautiful, functional, and fast.
    • Includes 34 Courses
    • With Professional Certification
    • Beginner Friendly.
      115 hours
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    Learn HTML

    Start at the beginning by learning HTML basics — an important foundation for building and editing web pages.
    • Beginner Friendly.
      7 hours