Contact emails
[email protected]

Specification
https://w3c.github.io/svgwg/svg2-draft/text.html#TextPathElementSideAttribute


Summary
The side attribute on the SVG <textPath> element places text on the opposite 
side of the path, equivalent to reversing the path direction. This lets authors 
label a shape's interior or exterior (eg text inside vs. outside a circular 
path) without duplicating or manually reversing path data.


Blink component
Blink>SVG


Web Feature ID
svg-textPath-side


Motivation
Authors placing text along a path have no way to flip which side of the path 
the text appears on. The side attribute lets authors write side="right" to 
place text on the opposite side of the path, without duplicating or reversing 
the path data. This helps label both the inside and outside of a shape, such as 
a circular path, with different text on each side.


Initial public proposal
No information provided


TAG review
Not yet requested. This implements an existing SVG2 attribute with a WG 
resolution and shipping Firefox precedent; TAG review will be evaluated during 
Intent to Ship.


TAG review status
Not applicable


Goals for experimentation
None


Risks




Interoperability and Compatibility
Firefox already shipped this (Firefox 152): 
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2034371 WebKit has it in progress 
(not merged yet): https://github.com/WebKit/WebKit/pull/66616 The SVG Working 
Group resolved to add IDL constants for side 
(w3.org/2026/04/23-svg-minutes.html#2c4e)

Gecko: Shipped/Shipping (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2034371)

WebKit: In development (https://github.com/WebKit/WebKit/pull/66616)

Web developers: No signals

Other signals:


Security
No new security concerns. The attribute only changes where already-visible text 
is rendered along a path.


WebView application risks

Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such that it 
has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?
No information provided



Debuggability
No special DevTools support needed. The side attribute is visible and editable 
like any other SVG attribute in the Elements panel.


Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, 
ChromeOS, Android, and Android WebView)?
Yes


Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests?
Yes
https://wpt.fyi/results/svg/types/scripted/SVGAnimatedEnumeration-SVGTextPathElement.html
 https://wpt.fyi/results/svg/text/reftests/textpath-side-003.svg 
https://wpt.fyi/results/svg/text/reftests/textpath-side-005.svg


Flag name on about://flags
Experimental web platform features


Finch feature name
SVGTextPathSideAttribute


Rollout plan
Will ship enabled for all users


Requires code in //chrome?
False


Tracking bug
https://issues.chromium.org/issues/40362379


Estimated milestones


Shipping on desktop 156

Shipping on Android 156

Shipping on WebView 156




Anticipated spec changes

Open questions about a feature may be a source of future web compat or interop 
issues. Please list open issues (eg links to known github issues in the project 
for the feature specification) whose resolution may introduce web 
compat/interop risk (eg, changing to naming or structure of the API in a 
non-backward-compatible way).
The SVG WG resolved to add IDL constants for side, but this hasn't yet been 
reflected in the published Editor's Draft text - an editorial gap, not an open 
design question (https://github.com/w3c/svgwg/issues/1086).


Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status
https://chromestatus.com/feature/5422782593761280?gate=5533956580704256


Links to previous Intent discussions
Intent to Prototype: 
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/6a850bf7.a9d706b7.140c01.05e3.GAE%40google.com



This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status.

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