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Glossary – Cross-browser compatibility

Cross-browser compatibility

Nikiforov Alexander
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What is cross-browser compatibility?

Cross-browser compatibility refers to the ability of websites to display and function correctly across different browsers. This issue became relevant back in the 1990s when two browsers dominated the market: Internet Explorer from Microsoft and Netscape Navigator from Netscape Communications. The competition between them led each developer to implement their own solutions, which in turn created display issues for websites depending on the browser used. For example, elements could display incorrectly, text might shift, and page loading speeds could vary significantly.

With the development of the Internet, many other browsers emerged, such as Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Yandex Browser. Each of these browsers has its own features, making the topic of cross-browser compatibility even more important. This requires developers to adapt their resources for all popular browsers to ensure users have convenient access to content.

Cross-browser compatibility, cross-platform compatibility, and adaptability

Cross-browser compatibility is closely related to cross-platform compatibility, which implies the ability of websites to function properly on various devices—from mobile phones to desktop PCs—and operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Achieving full cross-platform compatibility is impossible without cross-browser compatibility since different browsers are used on different devices.

It is also important to understand the differences between cross-browser compatibility and adaptability. Adaptability refers to the ability of a website to adjust to the screen sizes of various devices. Thus, cross-browser compatibility and adaptability are complementary aspects of web development that help create a user-friendly and functional resource.

Criteria for cross-browser compatibility

While websites do not have to look exactly the same in every browser, there are certain criteria that define the level of cross-browser compatibility:

  • Element positioning: Elements such as buttons or forms should not shift, disappear, or overlap each other.
  • Text readability: Text should display correctly without distortions or unreadable characters.
  • Functionality of interactive components: All links, menus, and buttons should work properly.
  • Loading speed: Pages should load quickly and without freezing.

Why is cross-browser compatibility important?

Cross-browser compatibility plays a key role in enhancing user experience. User-friendly websites with properly displayed content contribute to a positive brand perception and increase user trust. This, in turn, affects marketing metrics such as increased loyalty and conversions.

Additionally, cross-browser compatibility helps improve behavioral metrics and search engine rankings. Users who experience difficulties navigating or slow page loads are likely to leave the site, which increases the bounce rate and negatively impacts the site's ranking in search engines.

Causes of cross-browser compatibility issues

Cross-browser compatibility issues arise from differences in the engines that browsers operate on. Each web browser uses its own engine to process and display content, which can lead to discrepancies in display. The most common engines include Blink for Google Chrome and Opera, WebKit for Safari, Gecko for Mozilla Firefox, and EdgeHTML for Edge.

Moreover, issues can arise due to extensions and plugins installed in the browser, which can slow down website performance. It is also important to consider that an old version of a browser may not support certain technologies, which can also cause display issues.

How to check the cross-browser compatibility of a resource?

There are two main methods for checking cross-browser compatibility:

  • Manual testing: Installing popular browsers and testing the website in each of them. This is suitable for small websites but requires a lot of time.
  • Automated testing: Using specialized services such as Browserling, MultiBrowser, BrowserStack, and LambdaTest to test cross-browser compatibility across a large number of pages.

How to make a website cross-browser compatible?

To achieve cross-browser compatibility, developers can use several tools:

  • CSS hacks: Special parts of code that are recognized only by specific browsers. While this method can complicate the code, it allows for the necessary compatibility.
  • Vendor prefixes: Prefixes added to the code designed for specific browsers, easing the adaptation process of the website.
  • Universal elements: HTML tags that are compatible with all popular browsers.
  • Frameworks: Using ready-made code templates, such as Bootstrap, that are suitable for most browsers and simplify development.