Why Do You Need Compatibility View?

The Compatibility View feature follows a set of rules to display content correctly, without any user (or IT administrator) action needed whenever possible. Compatibility View enables developers to instruct the browser which rendering engine to use and enables users to override the browser’s choice and switch modes. If the developer and IT professional do not specify which rendering mode to use, user sees the "broken page" icon at the right end of the address bar, as the following illustration shows.

If a user clicks the icon, Windows Internet Explorer 8 switches rendering modes, and the page reloads instantly.

Users do not always see this icon. It is a secondary solution instead of the primary application compatibility mechanism. Windows Internet Explorer displays this icon only when a change into Compatibility View makes sense, such as when a user views standards mode pages. In all other cases, such as when a user views quirks mode pages or views Intranet Zone sites, the icon does not appear. For more information about Compatibility View and when the icon appears, see Introducing Compatibility View.

Related topics

Fixing Compatibility Issues in Web Applications by Using Compatibility View