Popups with Pure HTML and CSS

Using the magic of the <dialog> tag

A popup designed using pure HTML and CSS with minimal JS.

Ah, we are back at it again, with our goal to make everything with pure CSS and HTML. I once again ask the same question:

How far can we go with just HTML and CSS?

I’ve done dropdowns and InPageTabs before. This time, I’m exploring popups — modals, dialogs, overlays. Can we do those too, the pure HTML/CSS way?

Turns out, YES (almost)!

Once again, I’m extending AltCSS, and I needed a lightweight, no-JavaScript solution for popups. That meant digging into the native <dialog> element. And what I found was pretty awesome.

In this post, I’ll show you how to build functional, accessible popup dialogs using only HTML and CSS — no bloated JS, no frameworks.

Not a medium member? Read for free via my friend link!

🚧 What We’ll Cover

✅ The built-in <dialog> element and how it works.
🛠️ A minimal popup example using just HTML.
🧠 Deep dive into dialog’s native behavior and features.
🎨 How to enhance it with pure CSS.

📌 The Core Idea