tbody

tbody is an HTML element that groups the body content of a table. It contains row elements (tr), which in turn contain data cells (td) or header cells (th). The element works together with thead and tfoot to separate the table's header, body, and footer. Semantically, tbody marks the portion of the table that holds the main data, distinguishing it from header rows and footer rows.

Multiple tbody sections are allowed inside a single table. This enables grouping of related rows—for example, to apply different styling to different data blocks, or to facilitate dynamic updates via scripts. Thead and tfoot are typically used once per table, while one or more tbodys may appear.

A browser may automatically generate an implicit tbody if rows are present without an explicit tbody tag. The tbody element itself is a container; it does not inherently affect layout beyond what CSS applies. The default display value is table-row-group, which influences how browsers render borders and backgrounds for the group of rows.

Styling and scripting often target tbody to apply styles to the table body, such as zebra striping or scrolling effects. For accessibility, pair thead with th cells and use scope attributes or the headers/ id relationships so screen readers can map data cells to headers.