HTML standby Attribute

The obsolete HTML standby attribute was historically used on the <object> element to provide a short message that could be displayed while an external resource was loading.

Obsolete Attribute: The standby attribute is obsolete and should not be used in modern HTML. There is no direct modern HTML attribute that replaces it.

Historical Syntax

The standby attribute was placed on an <object> element and contained text intended for display while the external resource was being loaded.

<object data="example.pdf"
        type="application/pdf"
        standby="Loading document...">
</object>

In this example, the standby text indicated that the document was loading.

Historical Elements

The obsolete standby attribute was associated with the <object> element.

Element	Historical Purpose
`<object>`	Provided a message that could be displayed while an external object resource was loading.

Historical Use

The <object> element could be used to load external resources that might take time to retrieve and initialize. The standby attribute provided a short text message intended to give users feedback during that loading period.

<object data="presentation.pdf"
        type="application/pdf"
        standby="Please wait while the presentation loads...">
  <p>The presentation could not be displayed.</p>
</object>

The standby text was different from fallback content placed inside the <object> element. Standby text was intended for the loading period, while fallback content could be used when the external resource could not be represented.

Why It Became Obsolete

The standby attribute did not provide a dependable modern mechanism for displaying loading information, and it is no longer part of conforming HTML authoring.

Modern resources should be designed to load efficiently. When an application genuinely needs a loading indicator, the interface can provide one using current HTML and, when necessary, JavaScript appropriate to the resource being loaded.

Modern Alternative

There is no direct modern HTML replacement for the standby attribute. Remove the attribute and use the current <object> element only when it is appropriate for the resource being embedded.

Historical HTML

<object data="example.pdf"
        type="application/pdf"
        standby="Loading document...">
</object>

Modern HTML

<object data="example.pdf"
        type="application/pdf">
  <p>The document could not be displayed.</p>
</object>

The current data attribute specifies the external resource and type can identify its MIME type. Content inside the <object> element can provide fallback content when appropriate.

Important: Fallback content inside <object> is not a replacement for the historical loading message provided by standby. If a webpage needs a true loading indicator, it should be implemented according to the type of resource and application behavior involved.

Legacy Browser Support

The standby attribute appeared in older HTML specifications for the <object> element, but its practical behavior was not something modern webpages should depend on.

Current HTML treats standby as obsolete. Existing legacy markup should remove the attribute, and authors should optimize embedded resources so they load quickly or incrementally when possible.

For additional information about historical browser compatibility, visit Can I Use? . Search for the HTML element or attribute you want to check. Search results can include related HTML features, element attributes, APIs, and other technologies, so select the result that most closely matches the legacy feature you are researching.

Other obsolete attributes historically associated with the <object> element include:

archive - Historically identified archives containing resources associated with an object.
classid - Historically identified an implementation for an embedded object.
codebase - Historically provided a base URL for object-related resources.
codetype - Historically specified the content type of an object's implementation.
declare - Historically declared an object without immediately instantiating it.
typemustmatch - An obsolete attribute historically associated with matching an object's declared and actual resource types.

Specifications

The standby attribute on the <object> element is obsolete and must not be used by authors. Current WHATWG guidance recommends optimizing the linked resource so that it loads quickly or incrementally instead. See the WHATWG HTML Living Standard for information about obsolete and non-conforming features.

HTML standby Attribute