While making a website, one of the most important tasks is structuring or organizing your content, because this helps in search engine optimization of your website. That’s the place where semantic tags in HTML come into play. Among many semantic elements in HTML, the <header> tag plays an important role in creating a better layout. In this blog, you will learn everything about the <header> tag in HTML and how to use it with examples and best practices.
Table of Contents:
What is HTML?
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is defined as the markup language that is used to create the structure of web pages. It is used to add video, text, and links to webpages.
The word “Semantic” refers to meaning. Semantic tags in HTML are the tags that clearly define their purpose to both the developer and the browser. There are various semantic tags in HTML, like <header>, <footer>, <article>, <nav>, and <main>. This makes the HTML structure more logical and understandable.
HTML semantic tags are used to improve accessibility, which helps search engines to get a better understanding of your content.
Understanding the <header> Tag in HTML
The header tag in HTML is a semantic element used to define the introductory content of a webpage. It contains the headings, logos, navigation menus, or other introductory information. You can use the <header> tag in the top section of a webpage.
An important point is that you can have multiple <header> tags in HTML on a single page. For example, a main page header and a separate header for each article.
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Example 1: <header> Inside an <article>
You can write multiple <header> tags in the code. Here is an example to show how to add a <header> tag inside an <article> in HTML.
Output:
This example shows you how to use the header tag in HTML to define the introductory content of a website.
Output:
Attributes are defined as the special words that were used in the opening tag. These are the words that were used to provide additional information to the tags. The header tag in HTML is a semantic element, but it doesn’t come with any special attributes of its own. However, it supports some global HTML attributes.
| Attribute |
Purpose |
id |
Gives the header a unique name so it can be styled or targeted with JavaScript. |
class |
Allows applying styles or behaviors using CSS or JavaScript. |
style |
Adds styles directly inside the HTML element. |
role |
Helps assistive technologies understand the purpose of the element. |
lang |
Specifies the language of the element’s content. |
tabIndex |
Controls the order of keyboard navigation using the Tab key. |
data-* |
Stores extra custom data that can be accessed via JavaScript. |
Example: Using Global Attributes in the Header Tag
Here, in this example, id=”main-header” and class=”top-header” both allow you to target this header element from JavaScript and a CSS file, and role=”banner” sends signals to the screen readers that this is a top-level site header.
Using the header tag properly helps in making a webpage organized and accessible. Here are some best practices that you need to follow while using the HTML header tag:
- You can use multiple <header> tags on a page. But ensure that one <header> tag is not nested inside another <header> tag.
- Don’t place <header> inside tags like <footer> and <address>.
- Only include titles, navigation links, and Introductory text inside the <header> element.
- Use the role=”banner” attribute to help screen readers identify the main header of your site.
The header tag in HTML is well-supported by all modern browsers. Here is the list of all browsers that support the <header> tag:
- Internet Explorer
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Microsoft Edge
- Opera
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| Aspect |
<head> Tag |
<header> Tag |
| Purpose |
Holds meta information about the document |
Holds introductory content like headings, logos, and navigation |
| Content Visibility |
Not visible to users on the webpage |
Visible to users as part of the page layout |
| Typical Elements |
<title>, <meta>, <link>, <style>, <script> |
<h1> – <h6>, navigation menus, logos, search bars |
| SEO Role |
Important for SEO metadata (title, description, keywords) |
Helps organize page structure for better content readability |
| Placement |
Only once in an HTML document, inside <html> |
Can be used multiple times in a document (e.g., for each section or article) |
| Effect on Rendering |
Affects how the browser and search engines interpret the page |
Affects how the user sees and interacts with the content |
| HTML Specification |
Part of the document’s head section |
Part of the document body section |
Here are a few use cases of the HTML header tag:
- Placing the main heading of a webpage or section.
- Adding a website logo at the top of the page.
- Including navigation menus for easy site access.
- Displaying taglines or slogans.
- Adding a search bar for user convenience.
- Providing introductory text for an article or section.
- Grouping related header elements to improve HTML structure, such as page structure and SEO.
Conclusion
The <header> tag is one of the important tags in Semantic HTML. It helps you to structure the introduction of a webpage. Whether you’re adding a title, branding, navigation menu, or search bar, the <header> element helps in making HTML more meaningful. It always contains headings, navigation links, and logos. By using header tags correctly, you can improve your website structure and also improve the accessibility with semantic HTML tags for SEO of your website. Thus, mastering HTML5 tags like <header> is essential for modern web development.
Q1. What is the <header> tag in HTML?
The <header> tag in HTML is used to define the top section of the webpage. It usually contains titles, logos, navigation links, or intro text.
Q2. What is the <h1> tag in HTML?
The <h1> tag in HTML represents the main heading of a page or section.
Q3. How many <header> tags are in HTML?
There’s only one <header> tag element, but you can use it multiple times in your code.
Q4. How to use a <nav> tag?
The <nav> tag is used to define a section that contains navigation links, like menus or a table of contents.
Q5. How to center a <div>?
You can use flexbox to center a <div> in HTML. Set align-items and justify-content to center.
Q6. What is the purpose of the <header> tag in HTML?
The <header> tag in HTML is used to define introductory content or navigation links for a webpage or section.
Q7. Can we use multiple <header> tags in one HTML document?
Yes, you can use multiple <header> tags in one HTML document, as each section or article can have its own header.
Q8. Is the <header> tag good for SEO?
Yes, the <header> tag is good for SEO because it helps search engines understand the structure and main topics of a webpage.
Q9. What is the difference between <head> and <head> in HTML?
The <head> contains meta information about the webpage (title, styles, scripts, etc.) and is not displayed on the page, while the <header> is a visible section that usually contains headings, navigation, or introductory content.
Q10. How to use <header> tag in HTML?
You can use the <header> tag in HTML to define the top section of a webpage or a content section that contains headings, navigation, or introductory content.