HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language used for creating and structuring the content of web pages. It provides a set of tags and attributes that define the structure and formatting of text, images, links, and other elements within a web document. HTML is the backbone of the World Wide Web.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language for creating web pages. Every website you visit is built with HTML - it defines the structure and content.
HTML uses tags to mark up content: headings, paragraphs, images, links, forms. Browsers read HTML and render it visually.
You write HTML using tags wrapped in angle brackets:
<h1>Welcome to My Site</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="A photo">
<a href="about.html">About Us</a>
Tags tell browsers how to display content. <h1> means heading, <p> means paragraph, <img> means image.
Every HTML page has the same skeleton:
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Head: Contains metadata, links to CSS/JavaScript, page title.
Body: Contains visible content - everything users see.
Headings: <h1> to <h6> - organize content hierarchy
Text: <p> for paragraphs, <strong> for bold, <em> for italic
Links: <a href="url">Link Text</a> - navigate between pages
Images: <img src="image.jpg" alt="description"> - display images
Lists: <ul> for bullet points, <ol> for numbered lists
Forms: <form>, <input>, <button> - collect user input
Containers: <div> and <span> - group elements for styling
HTML provides structure. CSS makes it look good. JavaScript makes it interactive.
Think of building a house: HTML is the structure (walls, rooms), CSS is the decoration (paint, furniture), JavaScript is the functionality (lights, appliances).
Use tags that describe meaning, not just appearance:
<header>Site Header</header>
<nav>Navigation Menu</nav>
<main>Main Content</main>
<article>Blog Post</article>
<footer>Site Footer</footer>
Why it matters: Screen readers understand content better. Search engines rank your site higher. Code is clearer for other developers.
Modern websites do not write raw HTML manually. They use frameworks (React, Vue, Next.js) that generate HTML. But understanding HTML fundamentals is still essential.
When debugging, you inspect HTML in DevTools. When optimizing SEO, you structure HTML correctly. When building emails, you write HTML (email clients are stuck in the past).
Close your tags: <p>Text</p> not <p>Text
Use semantic elements: <button> not <div onclick="...">
Add alt text to images: Helps visually impaired users and SEO
Keep it simple: Use the right tag for the job
HTML is the foundation of the web. You cannot build websites without understanding it. Even with modern frameworks generating HTML for you, knowing HTML helps you debug issues, optimize performance, and write better code.
Learning HTML takes days. Mastering it takes months. But every web developer needs it.