The “name” attribute is obsolete. Consider putting an “id” attribute on the nearest container instead.

Before HTML5, the way to create a link target within a page was to use a “named anchor” — an <a> element with a name attribute. This allowed other links to jump to that specific spot using a fragment identifier (e.g., href="#section-5"). In HTML5, the name attribute on <a> elements has been marked as obsolete. Instead, the id attribute on any element serves this purpose, making the extra <a> wrapper unnecessary.

This matters for several reasons:

• Standards compliance: Using obsolete attributes means your markup doesn’t conform to the current HTML specification, which can cause W3C validation errors.
• Cleaner markup: Named anchors add an extra element that serves no semantic purpose. Using id directly on the target element is simpler and more meaningful.
• Accessibility: Screen readers and assistive technologies work better with semantic HTML. An id on a heading or <section> provides clearer document structure than a nested anchor element.
• Browser behavior: While browsers still support name for backward compatibility, relying on obsolete features is risky as future browser versions may change or drop support.

To fix this, remove the <a name="..."> element and place an id attribute directly on the nearest appropriate container element, such as a heading (<h2>, <h3>, etc.), a <section>, or a <div>.

Examples

Incorrect: using the obsolete name attribute

<h2>
  <a name="section-5">Section 5</a>
</h2>

The <a> element here exists solely to create a link target, adding unnecessary markup.

Correct: using id on the heading

<h2 id="section-5">Section 5</h2>

The id attribute on the <h2> makes it a valid fragment link target without any extra elements.

Linking to the section

Both approaches allow navigation via the same fragment URL. The link syntax doesn’t change:

<a href="#section-5">Jump to Section 5</a>

Using id on other container elements

The id attribute works on any HTML element, so you can place it wherever makes the most sense semantically:

<section id="contact-info">
  <h2>Contact Information</h2>
  <p>Email us at hello@example.com.</p>
</section>

Incorrect: multiple named anchors in a document

<p>
  <a name="intro">Welcome to our page.</a>
</p>
<p>
  <a name="conclusion">Thanks for reading.</a>
</p>

Correct: replacing all named anchors with id attributes

<p id="intro">Welcome to our page.</p>
<p id="conclusion">Thanks for reading.</p>

Remember that id values must be unique within a document — no two elements can share the same id. If you’re migrating from name attributes, check for duplicates and ensure each id is used only once.

Learn more:

W3C Reference

W3C: name attribute is obsolete

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