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<param>

Defines parameters for an object element

Definition and Usage

The <param> tag is used to define parameters for an <object> element.

The <param> tag is a void element (it does not have a closing tag) and must be placed inside an <object> element.

Note: The <param> tag is rarely used in modern web development. Most use cases have been replaced by the <video> and <audio> tags.
Deprecated: Flash and many other plugins that used <param> are now obsolete. Modern browsers have removed support for most plugins.

Browser Support

The <param> tag is supported in all major browsers:

Chrome
Chrome
Yes
Firefox
Firefox
Yes
Safari
Safari
Yes
Edge
Edge
Yes
Opera
Opera
Yes

Attributes

Attribute Value Description
name text Specifies the name of the parameter
value text Specifies the value of the parameter
type media_type Deprecated in HTML5. Specifies the media type of the parameter
valuetype data
ref
object		 Deprecated in HTML5. Specifies the type of the value

Examples

Basic Object with Parameters

Define parameters for an embedded object:

Example

<object data="movie.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash">
  <param name="quality" value="high">
  <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff">
</object>
Note: Flash is obsolete and no longer supported by modern browsers. This example is for historical reference only.

Flash Movie Parameters (Deprecated)

Configure Flash movie playback (no longer recommended):

Example

<object width="400" height="300" data="animation.swf">
  <param name="movie" value="animation.swf">
  <param name="quality" value="high">
  <param name="play" value="true">
  <param name="loop" value="false">
  <param name="wmode" value="transparent">
</object>

Video Object with Parameters

Embed video using object element:

Example

<object data="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <param name="autoplay" value="false">
  <param name="controller" value="true">
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</object>

Audio Object with Parameters

Embed audio using object element:

Example

<object data="music.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
  <param name="autoplay" value="false">
  <param name="volume" value="50">
  Your browser does not support this audio format.
</object>

PDF Object Parameters

Embed a PDF document with parameters:

Example

<object data="document.pdf" type="application/pdf" width="600" height="400">
  <param name="page" value="1">
  <param name="zoom" value="100">
  <p>Your browser does not support PDFs.
     <a href="document.pdf">Download the PDF</a>.</p>
</object>

Multiple Parameters

Set multiple parameters for complex objects:

Example

<object data="player.swf" width="320" height="240">
  <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true">
  <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
  <param name="flashvars" value="video=myvideo.mp4&autoplay=false">
  <param name="quality" value="high">
</object>

Modern Alternatives

Instead of using <object> and <param>, use modern HTML5 elements:

Use <video> Instead

Example

<video width="400" height="300" controls>
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <source src="video.webm" type="video/webm">
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>

Use <audio> Instead

Example

<audio controls>
  <source src="music.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
  <source src="music.ogg" type="audio/ogg">
  Your browser does not support the audio tag.
</audio>

Try it Yourself

Interactive Example

The <param> tag is rarely used today. Here's a modern alternative using the <audio> tag:

Best Practices

  • The <param> tag is rarely used in modern web development
  • Always prefer <video> and <audio> tags over <object>
  • Flash and most browser plugins are obsolete and should be avoided
  • Each <param> must be a direct child of an <object> element
  • The <param> tag is self-closing and does not have a closing tag
  • Provide fallback content inside the <object> for unsupported browsers
  • Use modern HTML5 APIs for multimedia instead of deprecated plugins

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