HTML <script> src Attribute

The HTML <script> tag

Definition and Usage

src The attribute specifies the URL of the external script file.

If you want to run the same JavaScript on multiple pages of the website, you should create an external JavaScript file instead of writing the same script over and over again. Save the script file with a .js extension and then reference it using the src attribute in the <script> tag.

Note:External script files cannot contain <script> tags.

Tip:Set src The script element cannot contain content. You cannot use the same script element to define embedded scripts and to reference external scripts.

Tip:The script element that references an external script should be empty. If the script element is used as a self-closing tag to reference an external script, the browser will ignore this element and will not load the referenced file.

Example

Points to an external JavaScript file:

<script src="myscripts.js"></script>

Try It Yourself

Syntax

<script src="URL">

Attribute Value

Value Description
URL

URL of the external script file.

Possible Values:

  • Absolute URL - Points to another website (e.g., src="http://www.example.com/example.js")
  • Relative URL - Points to a file within the website (e.g., src="/scripts/example.js")

Browser Support

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Chrome Edge Firefox Safari Opera
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The HTML <script> tag