Life would be far more difficult without caniuse.com. I use it daily to check levels of browser support for new HTML5 technologies.
The site provides a useful table at the top-right of the feature description which indicates the approximate proportion of people who can use the technology. The statistics are based on global browser usage assessed by StatCounter for the previous month.
StatCounter is a great resource which analyses traffic from three million websites worldwide — I reference the statistics in my monthly browser trends articles. But it’s no substitute for traffic analysis from your own websites.
For example, at the time of writing, the CSS3 border-radius property has 84.73% global support and is primarily missing from IE8. However, what if your site is named IE8isgreat.com? (That domain is available should you wish to create it!) You would expect a higher than normal percentage of IE8 users — the border-radius support percentage would be far lower.
Fortunately, caniuse.com now allows you to import Google Analytics statistics from your own sites to verify real levels of user support and compare them to the worldwide average.
Step 1: Implement Google Analytics
You’ll need a Google Analytics account but, seriously, I’ve yet to see a site which doesn’t use it.Step 2: Login at caniuse.com
Open caniuse.com and click the Import stats tab. Enter your Google Analytics account ID and password in the pop-up window:
Step 3: Choose a Profile
Now select the website profile you want to import:
Step 4: Set the Date Range
Choose the date range — the past 30 days should be adequate — and hit Import data:
Step 5: View a Feature
Search or browse for any technology and you’ll notice a Custom support column which reflects your own site’s statistics. In the example below, 47.04% of SitePoint visitors are able to use the HTML5 Full Screen API compared to 34.63% on average:
This is the best application of the Analytics API I’ve seen and a useful addition to caniuse.com. It’s easy to use and will help you assess when an HTML5 feature becomes viable on your site.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about CanIUse.com
What is CanIUse.com and how does it work?
CanIUse.com is a comprehensive resource for developers and web designers that provides up-to-date browser support tables for front-end web technologies. It works by collecting data from various sources, including user agent strings, browser versions, and feature support information. This data is then organized into easy-to-read tables that show which browsers support which features, allowing developers to make informed decisions about the technologies they use in their projects.
How can I use CanIUse.com to improve my website’s compatibility?
CanIUse.com can be used to check the compatibility of various web technologies across different browsers. By using this tool, you can ensure that the features you implement on your website will work correctly for all your users, regardless of the browser they are using. This can significantly improve the user experience and functionality of your website.
What is WebGL and how can I check its compatibility on CanIUse.com?
WebGL (Web Graphics Library) is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D and 2D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. You can check its compatibility on CanIUse.com by searching for ‘WebGL’ in the search bar. The resulting page will show a table with information about the support of WebGL across various browsers.
What is the Canvas API and how can I check its compatibility on CanIUse.com?
The Canvas API is a powerful drawing technology for the web. It allows developers to draw graphics via JavaScript and the HTML
How can I download data from CanIUse.com?
CanIUse.com provides an option to download the data it displays. You can do this by clicking on the ‘Download’ button located at the top right corner of the page. This will download a JSON file containing all the data displayed on the page.
What is SVG and how can I check its compatibility on CanIUse.com?
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation. You can check its compatibility on CanIUse.com by searching for ‘SVG’ in the search bar. The resulting page will show a table with information about the support of SVG across various browsers.
How often is the data on CanIUse.com updated?
The data on CanIUse.com is updated regularly to ensure it reflects the most current browser support information. The frequency of updates depends on the release of new browser versions and the introduction of new web technologies.
Can I contribute to CanIUse.com?
Yes, CanIUse.com is an open-source project and welcomes contributions from the community. You can contribute by adding new features, fixing bugs, or updating the data.
How reliable is the data on CanIUse.com?
The data on CanIUse.com is sourced from reliable and authoritative sources, including direct testing in browsers and information from the official documentation of web technologies. Therefore, it is highly reliable and trusted by developers worldwide.
Can I use CanIUse.com for free?
Yes, CanIUse.com is a free resource for developers and web designers. It does not require any registration or payment to use.
Craig BucklerCraig is a freelance UK web consultant who built his first page for IE2.0 in 1995. Since that time he's been advocating standards, accessibility, and best-practice HTML5 techniques. He's created enterprise specifications, websites and online applications for companies and organisations including the UK Parliament, the European Parliament, the Department of Energy & Climate Change, Microsoft, and more. He's written more than 1,000 articles for SitePoint and you can find him @craigbuckler.
