DRAFT KB-XXXX IE7 document compatibility mode with "Emulate IE7" tag FAQ

The purpose of this article is to provide answers to some common questions regarding browsers automatically using IE7 document compatibility mode when accessing Portal.

Q: How do I know if my browser is using IE7 document compatibility mode?

A: Check if the following meta tag is present in the HTML source code of the browser:

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7" />

This meta tag can be located by going to the developer tools of the browser as shown in the following image:

Follow these steps to locate this meta tag:

In Google Chrome:

Enter Ctrl + Shift + I to open Developer Tools
In the "Elements" tab, expand the <head> tag to locate the meta tag

In Internet Explorer:

Open browser settings and select F12 Developer Tools
In the "DOM Explorer" tab, expand the <head> tag to locate the meta tag

In Firefox:

Open browser options and open the Web Developer menu
Select "Inspector"
In the "Inspector" tab, expand the <head> tag to locate the meta tag

Q: Why does the browser use IE7 document compatibility mode?

A: When using Portal, Appian automatically uses IE7 document mode because Portal is not compatible with newer document modes.

Q: Which browsers are compatible with Appian?

A: A full list of compatible browsers can be found in the system requirements documentation

Q: How do I prevent my browser from using IE7 document compatibility mode?

A: Update the applications to use Tempo/Sites instead of Portal. Because Portal must use IE7 document mode to run, there is no way to run it without the browser appearing to emulate IE7 through IE7 document compatibility mode.

Affected Versions

This article applies to all versions of Appian using Portal.

Last Reviewed: September 2018