SVG allows graphical objects to be defined for later reuse. It is recommended that, wherever possible, referenced elements be defined inside of a <defs> element. Defining these elements inside of a <defs> element promotes understandability of the SVG content and thus promotes accessibility. Graphical elements defined in a <defs> element will not be directly rendered. You can use a <use> element to render those elements wherever you want on the viewport.
Usage context
| Categories | Container element, Structural element |
|---|---|
| Permitted content | Any number of the following elements, in any order: Animation elements Descriptive elements Shape elements Structural elements Gradient elements <a>, <altGlyphDef>, <clipPath>, <color-profile>, <cursor>, <filter>, <font>, <font-face>, <foreignObject>, <image>, <marker>, <mask>, <pattern>, <script>, <style>, <switch>, <text>, <view> |
Attributes
Global attributes
- Conditional processing attributes
- Core attributes
- Graphical event attributes
- Presentation attributes
classstyleexternalResourcesRequiredtransform
Specific attributes
None
DOM Interface
This element implements the SVGDefsElement interface.
Example
<svg width="80px" height="30px" viewBox="0 0 80 30"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<defs>
<linearGradient id="Gradient01">
<stop offset="20%" stop-color="#39F" />
<stop offset="90%" stop-color="#F3F" />
</linearGradient>
</defs>
<rect x="10" y="10" width="60" height="10"
fill="url(#Gradient01)" />
</svg>
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2 The definition of '<defs>' in that specification. |
Candidate Recommendation | No change |
| Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1 (Second Edition) The definition of '<defs>' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 1.0 | (Yes) | 1.5 (1.8) | 9.0 | 8.0 | 3.0.4 |
| Feature | Android | Edge | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Phone | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 3.0 | (Yes) | 1.0 (1.8) | No support | (Yes) | 3.0.4 |
The chart is based on these sources.