The
<frameset>tag in HTML was used to define a set of frames within the browser window. It allowed you to divide the window into multiple sections (frames), each displaying a separate HTML document.⚠️ Important: The
<frameset>element is not supported in HTML5. It was used in older versions (HTML 4.01) and has been replaced by modern layout methods such as CSS Grid, Flexbox, or iframes.
Syntax
<frameset rows="value" cols="value">
<frame src="URL1">
<frame src="URL2">
</frameset>Attributes
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
rows | Specifies the number and size of horizontal frames (comma-separated values). |
cols | Specifies the number and size of vertical frames (comma-separated values). |
border | Defines the width of the border between frames. |
frameborder | Specifies whether a border should be displayed between frames (1 or 0). |
framespacing | Defines the space between frames (non-standard, used in older browsers). |
onload | Event handler triggered when the frameset has finished loading. |
onunload | Event handler triggered when the frameset is unloaded. |
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>HTML Frameset Example</title>
</head>
<frameset cols="50%,50%">
<frame src="https://wikipedia.com" name="leftFrame">
<frame src="https://hindigems.com" name="rightFrame">
</frameset>
</html>Output
Browser Output
This example divides the browser window into two vertical frames:
- The left frame loads frame1.html.
- The right frame loads frame2.html.
(Note: In modern browsers, this will not work, as <frameset> and <frame> are deprecated.)
Browser Support
 Chrome |  Firefox |  Edge |  Safari |  Opera |  IE9+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❌No | ⚠️Partial | ❌No | ⚠️Partial | ⚠️Partial | ✅Yes |
The <frameset> tag is partially supported by few browser’s older version but most of the browser dosn’t support this tag.
Notes
- The
<frameset>tag replaced the<body>tag in documents that used frames. - Each frame could display a different webpage.
- Frames often caused usability and bookmarking problems.
- In HTML5, use
<iframe>or modern CSS for layout and embedding.
Conclusion
The <frameset> tag was once a useful feature for creating multi-document layouts, but it is deprecated and obsolete in modern web development. Developers should now use CSS layout techniques or iframes for embedding content instead of using framesets.
