HTML Viewport: everything you need to know
The viewport is used to determine how the website is displayed on different device sizes. With the diversity of screen sizes and resolutions, from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones, it is essential to understand how the viewport works to ensure an optimal user experience.
What is the HTML viewport
The viewport is the area of a device's screen where a web page is displayed. On a desktop it's the browser window, while on mobile it's the full screen. The viewport is set by means of a <meta> tag in the <head>.
Basic syntax:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
This sets the default width and how the scaling works.
Why is the viewport important
One of the main reasons for the viewport meta tag is to enable responsive web design. Responsive web design ensures that the website adapts to the resolution of the device being used. Without the correct viewport settings, a website can look distorted on a mobile device, with text that is too small or overlapping elements.
Search engines such as Google consider the mobile usability of a website in their ranking algorithms. A website that also works well on a mobile device has a better chance of ranking higher in search results. The right viewport settings contribute to a positive mobile experience, which benefits your SEO.
How does the viewport work
The viewport meta tag can have several properties, each with a specific function.
width
The width property determines the width of the viewport. This can be set to a pixel value, for example 960px. Or on the width of the device, device-width. For the best user experience, it is recommended to do it according to the width of the device;
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">
initial-scale
initial-scale is used to set the zoom factor when the page is first loaded. A value of 1.0 means that the page is displayed at full size. Which is the recommended value.
<meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1.0">maximum-scale & minimum-scale
If you want to set the maximum (maximum scale) and minimum (minimum scale) zoom factor, you can use this.
It is not recommended to set this. This prevents any user confusion.
user-scalable
It is also possible to disable zoom completely. This can be done by means of the following;
<meta name="viewport" content="user-scalable=no">
However, this is not recommended because the user will no longer be able to zoom at all, which is not good for the user experience.