Is it ok to use image hotspots? Is that the best way to do it in today's world?

html css imagemap
TIMEX picture TIMEX · Aug 12, 2010 · Viewed 12.8k times · Source

I have a picture that needs to be split into 4, and each part must have a link. Do people still use image hotspots?

Answer

Oded picture Oded · Aug 12, 2010

I am assuming you are talking about client side image maps.

They are still being used and are part of HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.1, and also in the current HTML 5 draft.

They are simple to use and are supported by all browsers and as such are a good way to have "hot spots" on a single image. I can't think of a single better alternative (ease of use, browser support, accessibility, being part of the HTML spec) that will give you this functionality.

Whether having such "hot spots" on a single image is advisable (discoverability by the user being the main issue), is a different question.

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