src is used to embed resources, and href is used to link resources. src is used for elements such as <img src="/static/imghw/default1.png" data-src="https://img.php.cn/upload/article/000/000/000/175085353767279.jpeg" class="lazy" alt="What is the difference between the src and href html attributes?" >, <script>, <iframe>, etc., and the browser will directly load and display the resource; href is often used for <a> and <link> tags, pointing to another page or resource, and usually requires the user to click or navigate to load. When using src, the resource is part of the page and is loaded immediately; when using href, it is mainly used to jump or reference style sheets, etc. 1. src: Embed content, load and execute directly. 2. href: Create a link to point to an external resource or page. Remember: src brings resources to the page and href points to other locations. </script>
When you're working with HTML, it's easy to mix up src
and href
, especially when both are used to load external resources. The main difference comes down to what kind of resource you're linking to and how the browser handles it .

src is for embedded content
The src
attribute is used to embed content into your HTML document . You'll see it most often on elements like <img src="/static/imghw/default1.png" data-src="https://img.php.cn/upload/article/000/000/000/175085353767279.jpeg" class="lazy" alt="What is the difference between the src and href html attributes?" >
, <script></script>
, and <iframe></iframe>
.

- When you use
src
, the browser fetches and include that resource directly into the page. - Think of it like saying, “Go get this thing and show it here.”
For example:
<img src="/static/imghw/default1.png" data-src="photo.jpg" class="lazy" alt="A nice photo"> <script src="app.js"></script> <iframe src="https://example.com"></iframe>
In each case, the browser knows it needs to load that file or page and display or execute it as part of the current document.

href is for linking to resources
On the other hand, href
stands for hypertext reference , and it's mainly used in <a>
(anchor) tags and <link>
tags.
- It tells the browser where a link points to , but doesn't necessarily embed the resource.
- With
href
, the user usually has to click or navigate to load the new page or resource.
Examples:
<a href="about.html">Go to About Page</a> <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
You'll also see href
used for stylesheets because even though the CSS is loaded and applied to the page, it's not embedded the same way a script or image is.
One key point:
-
href
can be used for internal links (#top
), relative paths (/contact
), or full URLs (https://example.com
). -
src
almost always points to a specific file or endpoint that returns data directly.
When to use which?
Here's a quick guide to help you decide:
-
Use
src
if:- You're placing something inside your page
- The element won't work without that file (like an image or script)
- You want the browser to load and run or display it immediately
-
Use
href
if:- You're creating a clickable link
- You're referencing a stylesheet
- You're pointing to another page or location
It's mostly about context — what kind of element you're using and how the browser expects to handle the resource.
Basically, just remember:
-
src
brings things into the page -
href
points to things elsewhere
That's the core idea — not too complicated once you see how they behave differently in practice.
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