Purpose and content model
Blockquote identifies a passage quoted from another source, usually as a separate block. Q identifies a short quotation within a sentence. Cite identifies the title of a creative work, such as a book, article, film, or report. Cite is not the element for a person's name merely because that person supplied the quotation.
Blockquote contains flow content and q contains phrasing content. A visible attribution can accompany a quotation, but it is not automatically created by either element. Keep attribution outside the quoted content when it is your own explanatory text rather than part of the source passage.
Syntax and working example
<figure>
<blockquote cite="https://example.org/report/">
<p>Every neighborhood should have a place to read.</p>
</blockquote>
<figcaption>From <cite><a href="https://example.org/report/">The Community Reading Report</a></cite>.</figcaption>
</figure>Supported attributes and behavior
Blockquote and q support a cite attribute containing a source URL. This attribute supplies machine-readable source information; browsers generally do not turn it into a visible citation link. Add an ordinary anchor when readers should be able to visit the source. The cite element itself uses global attributes and has no dedicated URL attribute. Q's quotation marks are typically supplied through browser styling rather than typed manually.
Another practical pattern
<p>The guide describes the route as <q>a gentle climb</q>.</p>
<p>Read <cite>A Guide to Urban Gardens</cite> for more examples.</p>Accessibility and browser notes
A visible attribution gives all readers the context that a hidden cite URL cannot provide. Quotation punctuation and pronunciation vary by language and assistive technology, so preserve a clear written sentence instead of relying only on the visual quotation marks. Cite does not verify truth or authorship.
Common mistakes
Do not use blockquote to indent nonquoted content. Do not place an author's name in cite solely to make it italic. Avoid duplicating typographic quotation marks around q unless your language or editorial convention deliberately requires a different pattern.
Verify your implementation
Check that the quotation remains faithful to its source and that any visible link reaches the intended work. Inspect the source URL separately from the rendered attribution. With CSS disabled, the quotation and your commentary should still be distinguishable.
Standard status and sources
Standard; browser availability must be checked independently of specification status.