Syntax
<p dir="rtl">مرحبا</p>
<p dir="auto">User-provided text</p>Examples
Text Direction with dir: working example
Save as an HTML file and open it in a browser. Expected result: The English paragraph uses left-to-right direction; the Arabic and Hebrew paragraphs use right-to-left direction.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Working example</title>
</head>
<body>
<p dir="ltr">Order: 123</p>
<p dir="rtl" lang="ar">مرحبا بالعالم</p>
<p dir="auto">שלום עולם</p>
</body>
</html>- Expected result: The English paragraph uses left-to-right direction; the Arabic and Hebrew paragraphs use right-to-left direction.
- Direction is independent of language: declare both when both are known.
- auto examines text direction rather than translating or reordering the underlying string.
Best practices
- Use semantic dir for content direction and logical CSS properties for spacing.
- Test punctuation and mixed-direction identifiers with real content.
Browser compatibility
Support applies to the named feature, not every attribute or behaviour in this article. Versions refer to browsers, not operating systems.
dir
Desktop
- Chrome
- Supported
From 1 - Firefox
- Supported
From 1 - Safari
- Supported
By 4 (possibly earlier) - Edge
- Supported
By 15 (possibly earlier) - Opera
- Supported
From 15
Mobile
- Safari on iOS
- Supported
By 3.2 (possibly earlier) - Chrome for Android
- Supported
From 18 - Firefox for Android
- Supported
From 4 - Samsung Internet
- Supported
From 1.0
MDN BCD record for this feature · MDN reference
Support history and limitations
Chrome
- From 1
Firefox
- From 1
Safari
- By 4 (possibly earlier)
Edge
- By 15 (possibly earlier)
Opera
- From 15
Safari on iOS
- By 3.2 (possibly earlier)
Chrome for Android
- From 18
Firefox for Android
- From 4
Samsung Internet
- From 1.0
dir auto value — no separate BCD record
Desktop
- Chrome
- Unknown
- Firefox
- Unknown
- Safari
- Unknown
- Edge
- Unknown
- Opera
- Unknown
Mobile
- Safari on iOS
- Unknown
- Chrome for Android
- Unknown
- Firefox for Android
- Unknown
- Samsung Internet
- Unknown
No single verified compatibility record for this topic. Use the feature-specific articles; no browser support is inferred.
MDN BCD 8.1.5 · Dataset built 2026-10-08 · Mapping reviewed 2026-10-21. These dates are not individual browser-test or claim-verification dates. Unknown means the data does not establish support.