How are duplicate <meta> tags handled by the various browsers?

[tomwms]

I would like to know what happens when there is a duplicate in a <meta> tag in the head section of a webpage.

I am referring to a <meta> tag that is addressing the same attributes of that meta tag. In other words if these tags are separated by say a dozen lines of other html code, does the browser accept the first <meta> tag or the second <meta> tag. The settings in these tags may only be slightly different.

Note:I am not referring to separate <meta> tags that serve a different purpose. I'm talking about where it was entered twice by mistake and each had a slightly different setting in THAT tag.

 

[chrishirst]

There is only ONE meta element that browsers really use and that is the meta 'refresh'.

 

[tomwms]

There is only ONE meta element that browsers really use and that is the meta 'refresh'.

I don't know why you can make such a blanket statement when I know for a fact that changing the attributes of a <meta> tag can have a dramatic effect on the web browsing session.

For example:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=1024,height=950, initial-scale=.75, maximum-scale=1.5, user-scalable=yes" />

Everyone of the elements in the above will have an effect on how the website is displayed and operated. I have to consider these values constantly when I view and test my websites on the the various Tablets (ie. Apple vs Android vs Kindle).

Don't you think that meta tags would have gone the way of the dinosaur if the didn't have some kind of meaningful usage?

 

[chrishirst]

Not necessarily

Apple created the viewport meta directive for iOS browsers initially, and as yet not ALL browsers support it. Certainly all browsers that are created to run on 'mobile' operating systems do, but not "desktop" browsers.

Also THIS is a meta 'tag' <meta ...> and UNTIL a name or http-equiv attribute and the 'content' attribute to define the action is added it is meaningless.

http://webmaster-talk.eu/articles/7-website-marketing-and-search/6-meta-tag-or-meta-element

Don't you think that meta tags would have gone the way of the dinosaur if the didn't have some kind of meaningful usage?

I have to assume from your comment that you don't really understand what 'meta' information elements and meta directives are really for.

http://www.w3.org/wiki/HTML/Elements/meta