Progressive Enhancement

noun

say it: “pruh-GRES-iv en-HANS-ment” /prəˈɡrɛsɪv ɪnˈhænsmənt/

Building a page that works with plain HTML first, then making it better with JavaScript.

What is Progressive Enhancement?

Progressive Enhancement — Building a page that works with plain HTML first, so a form still posts and a link still loads, then adding JavaScript to make it smoother, such as updating part of the page without a reload. If the script fails, the page still works.

In a sentence

• “With progressive enhancement, the search form still works when JavaScript fails.”

Level: Journeyman · More Web Development terms at this level

Updated October 28, 2026