View source for rel-alternate

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== Special Combinations ==
While <code>rel="alternate"</code> does by itself mean that the destination is some alternate representation or version of the current page, it combines in special ways with other <code>rel</code> values and other attributes to provide different more specific meanings, in particular:

=== With <code>rel stylesheet</code> ===
==== Alternate stylesheets ====
<code>rel="alternate stylesheet"</code> is [http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/present/styles.html#h-14.3.1 how you provide an alternate stylesheet] for the document. Note that the stylesheet is ''not'' an alternate representation of the current page.

=== With <code>hreflang</code> ===
==== Alternate language versions ====
When used in combination with the <code>hreflang</code> attribute (with a value other than that of the document itself), <code>rel="alternate"</code> means a link to a version of the current document, but in the language indicated by the <code>hreflang</code> attribute.

Example from http://gmpg.org/xfn/creator :
<source lang=html4strict>
<link href="creator-fr" rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" title="Cr&eacute;ateur XFN 1.1" />
</source>

See also: [http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=189077 Google Webmaster Tools Help: rel="alternate" hreflang="x"] and [[hreflang]]

=== With <code>media</code> ===
==== Alternate devices and media ====
When used in combination with the <code>media</code> attribute, <code>rel="alternate"</code> means a link to a version of the current document, especially for the specified device or medium indicated by the <code>media</code> attribute.

For example, this is one possible way of linking to a site's mobile version:
<source lang="html4strict">
<a href="http://m.twitter.com" rel="alternate" media="handheld">Twitter mobile site</a>
</source>

=== With <code>type</code> ===
==== Page Feed ====

When used in combination with the <code>type</code> attribute (with a value other than that of the document itself; e.g. other than <code>"text/html"</code>), <code>rel="alternate"</code> means a link to a representation of the contents of the current document in a different format, as designated by the <code>type</code> attribute.

Examples:

<source lang="html4strict">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href=".rss"
      title="RSS feed for this page"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" href=".atom"
      title="Atom feed for this page"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/activitystream+json" href=".as"
      title="Activity Streams JSON feed for this page"/>
</source>

=== With <code>type</code> and <code>rel home</code> ===
==== Site Feed ====
{{main|rel-home#use_with_rel-alternate}}

'''Proposed:''' 
When used in combination with the <code>type</code> attribute (with a value other than that of the document itself, e.g. other than <code>"text/html"</code>), <code>rel="alternate home"</code> means a link to a representation of the contents of the ''site'' (the home page for the current page) in a different format, as designated by the <code>type</code> attribute.

Examples:

<source lang="html4strict">
<link rel="alternate home" type="application/rss+xml" href=".rss"
      title="RSS feed for this site"/>
<link rel="alternate home" type="application/atom+xml" href=".atom"
      title="Atom feed for this site"/>
<link rel="alternate home" type="application/activitystream+json" href=".as"
      title="Activity Streams JSON feed for this site"/>
</source>

== See Also ==
* [[existing-rel-values]]
* [[rel-faq]]
* [[rel-home]], in particular [[rel-home#use_with_rel-alternate|rel-home with rel-alternate proposal]]