Liferay Taglib Reference
Searchable reference for liferay-ui, aui, clay, and liferay-frontend JSP tags with attributes, usage snippets, and rendered HTML.
Tip: Tags here are a curated set of the most-used Liferay taglib tags across the four core taglibs. Click any tag to expand its attributes, a copy-ready JSP usage snippet, and the typical HTML it renders. For new UI, prefer the clay tags over the older aui and liferay-ui equivalents.
The Four Core Liferay Taglibs
Liferay JSPs are built almost entirely from taglib tags. Knowing which of the 45+ common tags to reach for — and which taglib it belongs to — saves constant trips to the javadoc-style taglibdocs. This reference groups the most-used tags by their four core prefixes:
http://liferay.com/tld/uiClassic, JSP-based UI tags. The oldest and broadest set — search containers, icons, messages, asset display.
http://liferay.com/tld/auiAlloyUI form and layout tags. Still widely used for <aui:form> and <aui:input>, though Clay is preferred for new UI.
http://liferay.com/tld/clayClay (Lexicon) component tags — the modern Liferay 7.1+ design system. Buttons, cards, alerts, dropdowns.
http://liferay.com/tld/frontendHigher-level frontend building blocks — management bars, edit forms, modals, screen navigation.
How to Declare a Taglib in a JSP
Add a taglib directive at the top of your JSP (or, more commonly, rely on the shared init.jsp that most modules include):
<%@ taglib uri="http://liferay.com/tld/ui" prefix="liferay-ui" %> <%@ taglib uri="http://liferay.com/tld/aui" prefix="aui" %> <%@ taglib uri="http://liferay.com/tld/clay" prefix="clay" %> <%@ taglib uri="http://liferay.com/tld/frontend" prefix="liferay-frontend" %>
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the main Liferay taglibs?
- The four most common are liferay-ui (classic JSP UI tags like search-container and icon), aui (AlloyUI form and grid tags like aui:form and aui:input), clay (the modern Lexicon design-system tags such as clay:button and clay:alert), and liferay-frontend (higher-level building blocks like management bars, edit forms, and screen navigation).
- Should I use aui or clay tags for new development?
- Prefer clay for new UI. Clay implements the current Lexicon design language and is what Liferay itself uses in DXP 7.1+. The aui tags still work and remain common for forms (aui:form, aui:input), but clay components produce the up-to-date markup and styling.
- Does this tool render live taglib output?
- No — Liferay taglibs execute on the server against a live portal context (themeDisplay, permissions, the request), so they cannot run in a static browser tool. Each entry instead shows a hand-authored example of the typical HTML the tag renders, which is accurate for the common case.
- How do I declare a taglib in my JSP?
- Add a taglib directive at the top of the JSP, for example <%@ taglib uri="http://liferay.com/tld/ui" prefix="liferay-ui" %>. Most module JSPs include a shared init.jsp that already declares all of these prefixes, so you usually just reference the tags directly.
- Is this every Liferay tag?
- No. Liferay ships hundreds of tags across many taglibs. This reference is a curated set of the most frequently used tags so you can find the common ones fast. Use the official taglibdoc link on each entry for the complete attribute list.