HTML itemtype Attribute

The HTML itemtype attribute identifies the vocabulary and type of a Microdata item, providing the context used to interpret the item's itemprop properties.

Global Attribute

The itemtype attribute is a global attribute and is part of HTML Microdata. It identifies the vocabulary and type associated with a Microdata item and can only be specified on an element that also has the itemscope attribute.

itemtype Requirements

The itemtype attribute must be used on an element that also has the itemscope attribute. The itemscope attribute creates the Microdata item, while itemtype identifies the type of item being described.

<article itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Book">
  ...
</article>

In this example, itemscope creates the item and itemtype identifies the item as a book.

itemtype Values

The value of itemtype is an unordered set of unique, case-sensitive tokens. Each token must be a valid absolute URL identifying an item type defined by the vocabulary being used.

itemtype="https://schema.org/Book"

The attribute must contain at least one item type. When more than one type is specified, all of the types must come from the same vocabulary.

Using itemtype with Microdata

The following example uses the Schema.org vocabulary to describe a book. The itemtype attribute identifies the item as a Book, while the itemprop attributes identify properties of that book.

<article itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Book">
  <h3 itemprop="name">HTML Guide</h3>
  <p>Author: <span itemprop="author">Jane Smith</span></p>
  <p>Published: <time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2026-09-21">September 21, 2026</time></p>
</article>

The vocabulary identified by itemtype provides the meaning and context for properties such as name, author, and datePublished.

Multiple Item Types

An itemtype attribute can contain more than one item type by separating the absolute URLs with spaces.

itemtype="https://example.com/vocabulary/TypeOne https://example.com/vocabulary/TypeTwo"

When multiple item types are specified, they must all be defined by the same vocabulary. Duplicate type values are not permitted.

The itemtype attribute works with HTML's other Microdata attributes to describe items and their properties.

Attribute	Description
`itemscope`	Creates a new Microdata item and defines the scope of its properties.
`itemtype`	Identifies the vocabulary and type associated with the item.
`itemid`	Provides a global identifier for an item when permitted by its vocabulary.
`itemprop`	Adds one or more properties to an item.
`itemref`	Associates additional properties elsewhere in the document with an item.

Common Mistakes

Do not use itemtype on an element without itemscope. The itemscope attribute is required because it creates the Microdata item whose type is being defined.

Do not use a relative URL as an itemtype value. Each item type must be identified by an absolute URL.

Do not combine item types from different vocabularies in the same itemtype attribute. When multiple types are specified, they must all belong to the same vocabulary.

Do not confuse itemtype with itemprop. The itemtype attribute identifies the type of the item, while itemprop identifies individual properties belonging to that item.

Browser Support

Baseline: Widely available indicates a feature has been supported by core browsers for at least 30 months. At this stage, the feature is considered stable and safe for most websites to use without needing to worry about compatibility issues or fallbacks, as it is supported by the vast majority of users' devices and browser versions.

The itemtype attribute used with HTML microdata is supported in current core browsers. Browser support for microdata attributes is generally separate from whether search engines or other consumers use the structured data.

Checking Browser Support

For current browser compatibility information, visit Can I Use? . Search for the HTML element or attribute you want to check. You can also narrow your search by entering an element name and attribute name separated by a colon. Search results can include related HTML features, element attributes, input types, APIs, and other technologies, so select the result that most closely matches the feature you are checking.

Try the itemtype Attribute

The example uses itemtype to identify a Microdata item as a book. The itemprop attributes then identify individual properties defined for that type of item.

Play in Editor

Summary

The HTML itemtype attribute identifies the vocabulary and type of a Microdata item. It must be used with itemscope and contains one or more unique, case-sensitive absolute URLs. When multiple item types are specified, they must belong to the same vocabulary. The selected vocabulary provides the meaning and context for properties identified with itemprop.

HTML itemtype Attribute