Frames

Frames allow you to partition a web page into separate sections and to update the contents of one section while leaving the others unchanged.

Truth

Some browsers cannot bookmark framed pages, i.e. they will bookmark the top-level frameset, but not the content of the individual frames.

Search engines will find pages that are intended to appear within a frame, and hence are designed with the assumption that the frame will be present.  When a user selects such a search result, however, the frame will be absent.

Consequences

Users may think they have a bookmark to particular information, but when they use the bookmark, different information is displayed.

Search engines will lead users to frameless content.  Since the site navigation is often contained in another frame in the set, the user will have no way of easily navigating to other parts of the site.  If the content depends on the concurrent display of information in two or more frames, the user will become confused by seeing only one of them.

Recommendations

Do not use frames; use individual pages.  To avoid duplication of effort, use a preprocessor to include common elements onto multiple pages.

JavaScript can be used to compensate for some of the consequences of using frames, but you don't know if the user has JavaScript enabled...

Tips

  1. Everyone who uses a preprocessor has a favorite.  The author got started using PPWIZARD and has never seen any reason to look further.

Last revised 7 Nov 2009