What is modelviewer.dev?

Updated

modelviewer.dev is the official website for <model-viewer>, a web component that lets you display interactive 3D models on the web and in augmented reality (AR). It is maintained by Google and licensed under the Apache License 2.0. The site is the central place to learn the component, try it out, and look up its API.

What the site offers

The homepage describes <model-viewer> as a way to "easily display interactive 3D models on the web & in AR." From there, the site is organized into several resources:

  • Quick Start and Getting Started — entry points for adding the component to a page
  • FAQ and an Introduction section — background and common questions
  • Editor — a tool to test your 3D models and download a starter website
  • Documentation and API Reference — the full attribute and property surface of the component
  • Examples — basic and advanced usage, plus Addons

The site also includes a live demo model, the Neil Armstrong Space Suit, provided by the Smithsonian Digitization Programs Office and the National Air and Space Museum.

Who it's for

If you need to embed a 3D model in a web page — with optional AR viewing — <model-viewer> is designed to make that a matter of adding a tag and a few attributes rather than writing a custom WebGL viewer. The site's Editor is useful when you want to check how a specific model behaves before committing to an implementation, since it lets you test models and download a starter site.

Browser support

According to the site, <model-viewer> is supported on the last two major versions of all evergreen desktop and mobile browsers, plus the last two versions of Safari on macOS and iOS.

Some browser features are only required if you want to use WebXR in ar-modes:

Feature Status
WebXR Device API Natively supported
WebXR HitTest API Available with polyfill
WebXR DOM Overlay API Behind a flag, unstable

The table above reflects the site's own support notes; "behind a flag, unstable" means that feature is not something to rely on in production without checking current behavior.

Licensing

The site states: "©Copyright 2018-2025 Google Inc. Licensed under the Apache License 2.0." That license governs the project, so you can check the repository for the exact terms before shipping it in your own product.