download

Value

The download attribute can take an optional string value:

• Without a value (boolean form), the browser will suggest a filename and extension for the download, which may be derived from the following sources:
  • The Content-Disposition HTTP header
  • The final segment in the URL path
  • The media type (from the Content-Type header, the start of a data: URL, or Blob.type for a blob: URL)
• With a string value, the browser will use that string as a suggested filename when downloading. / and \ characters are converted to underscores (_). Filesystems may forbid other characters in filenames, so browsers will adjust the suggested name if necessary.

Description

The download attribute works for only same-origin URLs or for the blob: and data: schemes.

The download behavior varies by browser, user settings, and other factors. The user may be prompted before the download starts, and the file may be saved and/or opened automatically, either in an external application or in the browser itself.

If the Content-Disposition header conflicts with the download attribute, the resulting behavior depends on the header:

• If the header specifies a filename, it takes priority over the filename specified in the download attribute.
• If the header specifies a disposition of inline, Chrome and Firefox prioritize the download attribute and treat the resource as a download.

Examples

Demonstrating the effect of download

This example shows the effect of adding the download attribute to an SVG link.

html,
body {
  height: 100%;
}

svg {
  height: 100px;
}

HTML

In this example, we present two very similar SVG links that point to the same data: URL, which encodes a red heart-shaped image. The first one doesn't include the download attribute and has the link text "Display my image". The second one includes the download attribute and has the link text "Download my image".

<svg viewBox="0 0 160 40" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <a
    href="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 100 100'%3E%3Cpath d='M50 85 C20 55 5 35 5 22 C5 8 15 0 28 0 C36 0 44 5 50 14 C56 5 64 0 72 0 C85 0 95 8 95 22 C95 35 80 55 50 85Z' fill='%23e03'/%3E%3C/svg%3E">
    <text x="10" y="25">Display my image</text>
  </a>
</svg>

<hr />

<svg viewBox="0 0 160 40" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <a
    href="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 100 100'%3E%3Cpath d='M50 85 C20 55 5 35 5 22 C5 8 15 0 28 0 C36 0 44 5 50 14 C56 5 64 0 72 0 C85 0 95 8 95 22 C95 35 80 55 50 85Z' fill='%23e03'/%3E%3C/svg%3E"
    download="heart.svg">
    <text x="10" y="25">Download my image</text>
  </a>
</svg>

Result

Click the two links to see the difference in effect. The first navigates to the linked image and displays it in the embedded document. The second triggers the image to be downloaded.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• <a>
• href
• SVGAElement.download