HTML <ins> element

The <ins> element represents text or content that has been inserted into the document. It is useful when the page wants to show that something was added after an earlier version.

This often appears in edited documents, corrections, changelogs, legal drafts, collaborative writing, or comparison views. The element does not merely make text look underlined. It says that the content is an addition.

The optional datetime attribute records when the insertion was made. Use a date such as 2026-06-25, or a date and time with a time-zone offset, such as 2026-06-25T14:30+02:00. The optional cite attribute supplies the URL of a document explaining the change. It does not create a visible link; add an ordinary link if readers should be able to follow the explanation.

An insertion can cover a few words within a <p>, as in the example below, or a whole paragraph where the surrounding structure allows it. For an addition within a sentence, wrap only the added wording; the remaining words stay outside <ins>.

It pairs naturally with <del>. One element says what was removed; the other says what was added. Together they can show a change without hiding the history of that change.

Keep paragraph boundaries clear: use separate edit elements for additions in separate paragraphs. In an <ol> or <ul>, put the insertion inside the relevant <li>; do not insert an <ins> wrapper directly between the list and its items.

Attributes: cite, datetime, GLOBALS.

Typical layout:
<p>The lesson now includes
  <ins datetime="2026-06-25">SVG examples</ins>.
</p>

Visual representation: