---
title: "PSML elements"
source: https://dev.pageseeder.com/psml/elements.html
description: "A comprehensive reference guide listing all PSML v1.4 elements and attributes, organized into categories including structural, metadata, block-level, character-style, and context-specific elements for PageSeeder documents."
last_updated: 2026-09-14T13:54:30+10:00
tokens: ~1791
---

# PSML elements

This collection of documents provides a comprehensive list of PSML elements and attributes. It has been updated to **PSML v1.4**.

> **Note:** - When uploading PSML and overwriting an existing document, PageSeeder only modifies the document if there have been changes. If there are changes to white-space only this will NOT trigger a modification. Also changes to [\<metadata\>](/psml/elements/element_metadata.md) and [\<uri\>](/psml/elements/element_uri.md) are ignored unless the upload option “Overwrite metadata and document properties” is checked. - In the event of a difference between the documentation and the [PSML XSD schemas](/download/documents.md), treat the schema as the authoritative source.

## Structural elements

| Element | Description |
| --- | --- |
| [\<document\>](/psml/elements/element_document.md) | PSML document |
| [\<section\>](/psml/elements/element_section.md) | Section |
| [\<toc\>](/psml/elements/element_toc.md) | Table of content placeholder |
| [\<fragments\>](/psml/elements/element_fragments.md) | Fragment container (`level="metadata"` only) |
| [\<fragment\>](/psml/elements/element_fragment.md) | PSML fragment with general content |
| [\<media-fragment\>](/psml/elements/element_media-fragment.md) | Fragment for media types other than PSML |
| [\<properties-fragment\>](/psml/elements/element_properties-fragment.md) | PSML fragment with a set of properties |
| [\<xref-fragment\>](/psml/elements/element_xref-fragment.md) | PSML fragment with a list of cross-references |

## Metadata elements

Metadata elements do not form part of the PSML content and are generally descendants of either `<documentinfo>` or `<fragmentinfo>`.

| Element | Description |
| --- | --- |
| [\<author\>](/psml/elements/element_author.md) | Author of version |
| [\<compare\>](/psml/elements/element_compare.md) | Details of compared fragment |
| [\<compareto\>](/psml/elements/element_compareto.md) | Details of compared document |
| [\<content\>](/psml/elements/element_content.md) | Content of note / compared document |
| [\<description\>](/psml/elements/element_description.md) | Description of document or version |
| [\<diff\>](/psml/elements/element_diff.md) | Difference between versions |
| [\<displaytitle\>](/psml/elements/element_displaytitle.md) | Display title of URI |
| [\<documentinfo\>](/psml/elements/element_documentinfo.md) | Container for document level metadata |
| [\<fragmentinfo\>](/psml/elements/element_fragmentinfo.md) | Container for fragment level metadata |
| [\<fragment-ref\>](/psml/elements/element_fragment-ref.md) | Reference to fragment in structure |
| [\<labels\>](/psml/elements/element_labels.md) | List of document / fragment labels |
| [\<locator\>](/psml/elements/element_locator.md) | Fragment locator |
| [\<metadata\>](/psml/elements/element_metadata.md) | Document metadata |
| [\<note\>](/psml/elements/element_note.md) | Note on a fragment |
| [\<notes\>](/psml/elements/element_notes.md) | List of notes on a fragment |
| [\<properties\>](/psml/elements/element_properties.md) | Metadata properties |
| [\<publication\>](/psml/elements/element_publication.md) | Publication (root document only) |
| [\<version\>](/psml/elements/element_version.md) | Version information of a document |
| [\<versions\>](/psml/elements/element_versions.md) | List of document versions |
| [\<reversexref\>](/psml/elements/element_reversexref.md) | Reverse reference to a document / fragment |
| [\<reversexrefs\>](/psml/elements/element_reversexrefs.md) | List of reverse references |
| [\<section-ref\>](/psml/elements/element_section-ref.md) | Reference to section in structure |
| [\<structure\>](/psml/elements/element_structure.md) | Structure of compared document |
| [\<toc-ref\>](/psml/elements/element_toc-ref.md) | Reference to TOC in structure |
| [\<uri\>](/psml/elements/element_uri.md) | Underlying URI for a document |

## Block level elements

Block level elements can either be positioned as blocks or act as containers for other elements. 

| Element | Block level | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [\<block\>](/psml/elements/element_block.md) | position+content | Labeled block  |
| [\<blockxref\>](/psml/elements/element_blockxref.md) | position | Block cross-reference |
| [\<caption\>](/psml/elements/element_caption.md) | content | Table caption |
| [\<cell\>](/psml/elements/element_cell.md) | content | Table cell |
| [\<hcell\>](/psml/elements/element_hcell.md) | content | Table header cell (deprecated) |
| [\<heading\>](/psml/elements/element_heading.md) | position+content | Heading |
| [\<item\>](/psml/elements/element_item.md) | content | List item |
| [\<list\>](/psml/elements/element_list.md) | position | General list |
| [\<nlist\>](/psml/elements/element_nlist.md) | position | Numbered list |
| [\<para\>](/psml/elements/element_para.md) | position+content | Paragraph |
| [\<preformat\>](/psml/elements/element_preformat.md) | position+content | Preformatted text |
| [\<table\>](/psml/elements/element_table.md) | position | Table |

## Character-style elements

Character-style elements can only appear within a block-level container. Except for `<br/>` and `<image/>` which are empty and `<xref/>` and `<placeholder/>` which can only contain text, they can be intertwined with text and other character style elements.

| Element | Description |
| --- | --- |
| [\<bold\>](/psml/elements/element_bold.md) |  Bold text |
| [\<br\>](/psml/elements/element_br.md) |  Line break |
| [\<inline\>](/psml/elements/element_inline.md) |  Inline label |
| [\<image\>](/psml/elements/element_image.md) |  Image |
| [\<italic\>](/psml/elements/element_italic.md) |  Italic text |
| [\<link\>](/psml/elements/element_link.md) |  Link |
| [\<anchor\>](/psml/elements/element_anchor.md) |  Anchor |
| [\<monospace\>](/psml/elements/element_monospace.md) |  Monospace text |
| [\<placeholder\>](/psml/elements/element_placeholder.md) |  Placeholder variable content |
| [\<sub\>](/psml/elements/element_sub.md) |  Subscript text |
| [\<sup\>](/psml/elements/element_sup.md) |  Superscript text |
| [\<underline\>](/psml/elements/element_underline.md) |  Underlined text |
| [\<xref\>](/psml/elements/element_xref.md) |  Inline cross-reference |

## Context-specific elements

Elements which have neither block-level or character-style properties and can only be used in a specific context.

| Element | Context | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [\<col\>](/psml/elements/element_col.md) | `table` | Table column |
| [\<property\>](/psml/elements/element_property.md) | `properties-fragment` | Property |
| [\<row\>](/psml/elements/element_row.md) | `table` | Table row |
| [\<toc-part\>](/psml/elements/element_toc-part.md) | `toc-tree` | Table of contents part |
| [\<toc-tree\>](/psml/elements/element_toc-tree.md) | `toc` | Generated table of contents |
| [\<value\>](/psml/elements/element_value.md) | `property` | Property value |
| [\<markdown\>](/psml/elements/element_markdown.md) | `property` | Markdown value |

## Additional elements

- [`<fullname>`](/psml/elements/element_fullname.md)

- [`<title>`](/psml/elements/element_title.md)