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The Best HTML Tricks of 2026 – Features You Should Be Using As Of Right Now

1/10/2026

3 min read

The Best HTML Tricks of 2026 – Features You Should Be Using As Of Right Now cover

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It''s January 2026 and HTML keeps getting more powerful every year. Modern browsers (especially 2024–2025 releases) now support many features that dramatically reduce the amount of JavaScript we need to write for common UI patterns.

Here are the most practical and "wow" HTML-only (or almost-only) techniques that good teams are actively using in production in early 2026:

1. Popover + popovertarget – The new king of floating UI

HTML
<button popovertarget="user-menu">Account</button>

<div popover id="user-menu" class="floating-menu">
  <a href="/profile">Profile</a>
  <a href="/settings">Settings</a>
  <button popovertarget="user-menu" popovertargetaction="hide">Close</button>
</div>

2026 power moves:

  • popover="auto" (closes on outside click / ESC)
  • popover="manual" (you control everything)
  • Multiple independent popovers without z-index wars
  • ::backdrop styling
  • top-layer behavior (always above everything else)
  • Excellent focus management & accessibility out of the box

 

2. Native grouped accordions with name attribute on <details>

HTML
<details name="faq-group">
  <summary>Can I use this in 2026?</summary>
  <p>Yes – 96%+ global coverage (Jan 2026)</p>
</details>

<details name="faq-group">
  <summary>Is it only one open at a time?</summary>
  <p>Yes – when they share the same name!</p>
</details>

<details name="faq-group">
  <summary>What about multiple independent groups?</summary>
  <p>Just use different name values 😎</p>
</details>

3. <select> + list + <datalist> + autocomplete="on" renaissance

Modern combo-box / autocomplete without any library:

HTML
<input type="text" list="frameworks" placeholder="Pick a framework…" autocomplete="on">

<datalist id="frameworks">
  <option value="React">React 19 / Next.js 15</option>
  <option value="Vue">Vue 3.5 + Vapor Mode</option>
  <option value="Svelte">Svelte 5 runes everywhere</option>
  <option value="Solid">SolidStart 1.0</option>
  <option value="Astro">Astro 5 islands</option>
  <option value="Qwik">Qwik City resumability</option>
</datalist>

4. <dialog> is finally good (really good) in 2026

 
HTML
<dialog id="welcome">
  <article>
    <h2>Welcome to 2026! 🎉</h2>
    <p>This dialog was opened with <code>showModal()</code></p>
    
    <form method="dialog">
      <button value="cancel">Cancel</button>
      <button value="ok" autofocus>Got it!</button>
    </form>
  </article>
</dialog>

Current hot patterns:

  • ::backdrop + backdrop-filter: blur(8px)
  • Multiple nested <dialog> elements
  • form method="dialog" + value for easy result handling
  • cancel event + close event

5. Container queries + style queries – the real layout revolution

CSS
@container (inline-size > 420px) {
  .card-grid {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  }
}

@container style(--theme: dark) {
  .card {
    background: #1a1a1a;
    color: #eee;
  }
}
HTML
<div class="card" style="--theme: dark">
  <!-- will use dark styles automatically -->
</div>

Quick comparison table – January 2026 adoption (rough estimate)

Feature Chrome/Edge Firefox Safari Global % Recommendation
popover attribute 114+ 126+ 17.2+ ~95–97% ★★★★★ Use now
<details name="…"> grouping 120+ 127+ 17.4+ ~94% ★★★★☆ Very nice
Container style queries 105+ 110+ 16+ ~96% ★★★★★ Production
dialog + ::backdrop filter 76+ 98+ 15.4+ 97%+ ★★★★☆
anchor positioning (position-anchor) 125+ ~70–75% ★★☆☆☆ Wait 2026 H2

Which of these features surprised you the most? Which one are you planning to use in your next project? 🚀

Happy coding in 2026!

Cover Image Source: ReadyTools


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Table of Contents

1. Popover + popovertarget – The new king of floating UI2. Native grouped accordions with name attribute on <details>3. <select> + list + <datalist> + autocomplete="on" renaissance4. <dialog> is finally good (really good) in 20265. Container queries + style queries – the real layout revolution

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