Asides, Figures, and Generic Groups

Choose these elements by content relationship rather than visual placement.

Reading a river channel

A river’s width, bends, banks, and surface speed provide clues about the surrounding land.

A broad river bending between tree-covered banks
A wide bend where slower water can deposit sediment.

When div is still correct

Use a div for a generic grouping needed by layout or scripting when no semantic element accurately describes the content.

This group has no independent topic or landmark purpose.

Important HTML

Figures pair media with a caption; asides hold tangential content related to the article.

<figure>
  <img src="…" alt="…">
  <figcaption>…</figcaption>
</figure>
<aside aria-labelledby="term-heading">
  <h3 id="term-heading">…</h3>
  <p>…</p>
</aside>