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Use the native <dialog> element for a browser-managed dialog: call showModal() when the rest of the page must be blocked, or show() when it should remain interactive. Close it with a dialog method or a method="dialog" form—not by removing its open attribute. Then test focus, keyboard dismissal, result values, and the separate modal and non-modal paths.

Build and open a native dialog

This example opens a modal confirmation dialog, provides explicit Cancel and Delete choices, and handles the selected result after closure:

<dialog id="confirm-dialog" aria-labelledby="confirm-title">
  <h2 id="confirm-title">Delete this item?</h2>
  <p>This action cannot be undone.</p>
  <form method="dialog">
    <button value="cancel" autofocus>Cancel</button>
    <button value="confirm">Delete</button>
  </form>
</dialog>
<button id="open-confirm">Delete item</button>

<script>
  const dialog = document.querySelector("#confirm-dialog");
  document.querySelector("#open-confirm").addEventListener("click", () => {
    dialog.showModal();
  });

  dialog.addEventListener("close", () => {
    if (dialog.returnValue === "confirm") {
      // Perform the confirmed action.
    }
  });
</script>

The aria-labelledby attribute connects the dialog to its visible heading. Choose the initial focus deliberately: here autofocus puts it on Cancel so the safer option is immediately available. For a complex dialog, focusing the dialog itself may be more suitable. Do not add tabindex to the <dialog> element.

Choose modal or non-modal behavior

Method When to use it What happens
showModal() The interaction requires the user to address the dialog before using the page. The dialog enters the top layer, the rest of its containing document becomes inert, and the browser provides modal semantics and Escape dismissal by default.
show() The dialog should be open while the user can still interact with surrounding content. The dialog is non-modal; the surrounding document remains interactive.

A modal dialog inside an iframe blocks interaction in that iframe’s document, not the parent page. The modal overlay can be styled with the ::backdrop pseudo-element:

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dialog::backdrop {
  background: rgb(0 0 0 / 55%);
}

Use the methods to display dialogs. Setting the open attribute directly exposes an open non-modal dialog, but the methods make the intended behavior explicit.

Close the dialog and handle its result

Use a dialog form for a choice

A form with method="dialog" closes the dialog on successful submission without sending its data to a server. The activated submit button’s value is made available as dialog.returnValue. Read it in the close event, as in the example above.

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Use close() for direct closure

Call dialog.close() to close directly. You can pass a string to set the result:

dialog.close("saved");

Use requestClose() when close requests should be handled

dialog.requestClose() follows the close-request path: it fires cancel first, then closes if that event is not canceled. Listen for cancel when you need to inspect or prevent a close request, such as Escape. Calling preventDefault() keeps the dialog open. The close event signals that closure has occurred.

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dialog.addEventListener("cancel", (event) => {
  // Optional: prevent closure, for example when unsaved work needs confirmation.
  // event.preventDefault();
});

dialog.addEventListener("close", () => {
  console.log("Closed with:", dialog.returnValue);
});

Do not remove the open attribute manually to close a modal. That does not fire the close event and can leave the document blocked. Use close() or requestClose().

Test keyboard, focus, closure, and forms

Test modal and non-modal behavior independently; one does not establish that the other works as intended.

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  1. Activate the opener and confirm the showModal() path opens a modal dialog.
  2. While it is open, try to activate a control behind it. The rest of the containing document should be inert.
  3. Verify the intended initial focus, including the effect of any autofocus choice.
  4. Activate the explicit close or decision control and verify the dialog closes and the close handler runs.
  5. Press Escape. Verify the cancel event path and that the dialog closes when cancellation is not prevented; separately verify that preventDefault() keeps it open.
  6. Submit each method="dialog" button and verify the dialog closes with the expected value in returnValue.
  7. Test show() separately and verify the dialog opens while the surrounding page remains interactive.
  8. Repeat on the browsers and embedded WebViews your product supports; a result in one environment does not establish support in all of them.

Browser support and compatibility

MDN describes showModal() as widely available across browsers since March 2022. The HTML Standard’s compatibility notes list Firefox 98+, Safari 15.4+, Chrome 37+, and Edge 79+ for core dialog methods; Internet Explorer is unsupported. These are source-reported minimums, not a guarantee for every dialog feature or embedded WebView. Check the actual browser and WebView versions in your support matrix, especially when relying on newer features such as requestClose().

Troubleshooting common dialog problems

  • The background is still interactive. Check that the dialog was opened with showModal(), not show() or only the open attribute. Non-modal dialogs do not make the page inert.
  • The dialog closes but the close handler does not run. Avoid removing open manually. Close using close(), requestClose(), or a successful method="dialog" submission.
  • Escape does not close it. Check whether a cancel listener calls preventDefault(). That intentionally cancels the close request.
  • The wrong action is handled. Give each dialog-form submit button the intended value, then inspect returnValue in the close handler.
  • The dialog opens with an unexpected focus target. Set autofocus on the control that should receive initial interaction, or deliberately focus the dialog when appropriate. Do not put tabindex on the dialog element.
  • It behaves differently in a browser or WebView. Verify that environment’s version and support for the particular method or feature; do not infer compatibility from another browser.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a native dialog always need to be modal?

No. Use showModal() when the page must be blocked and show() when the surrounding page should remain usable.

Does method="dialog" send form data to a server?

No. A successful submission closes the dialog and exposes the activated button’s value as returnValue.

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Can I use native <dialog> in Internet Explorer?

The HTML Standard’s compatibility notes list Internet Explorer as unsupported for the core dialog methods.

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