HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the technology that is used to create a webpage with structured content. HTML was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. It is considered to be the foundation of all the webpages because it is important for creating simple websites to advanced ones. In this blog, we will discuss HTML basics, including its structure, features, drawbacks, and role in different domains.
Table of Contents:
Understanding the Basic HTML Structure with Examples
The format given below is the basic HTML structure with an example of an HTML document. It is one of the core and most important HTML basics that every developer must understand and learn. Every document follows this structure:
Explanation:
- <!DOCTYPE html> is used to declare the document as HTML5.
- <html> is for the rooting of all the elements of the document.
- <head> has metadata, title, and linked files.
- <meta> tags are used to provide information about HTML documents to web browsers.
- <body> has the content that needs to be displayed.
Key Features of HTML
- It is well known for its simplicity because it is easy to learn and implement.
- It can be combined with other technologies like CSS and JavaScript.
- You can get meaningful tags like <article>, <nav>, and <section>.
- The audio, videos, and images can be embedded.
- You can work across all browsers and devices.
- It gives you a support framework and API.
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HTML Tags are used for building webpages. These are the main components of HTML basics. You can use it for organizing content like titles, paragraphs, links, or pictures. It is enclosed in the angle bracket, like <p> for writing some paragraphs on your website. It usually comes in an opening <p> tag and closing tag </p>. Web browsers understand these tags correctly and display the content given inside the tags.
- <h1> to <h6>: Headings
- <p>: Paragraph
- <a href=””>: Anchor (link)
- <img src=””>: Image
- <div>: Division or section of a page
- <ul>, <ol>, <li>: Lists
- <form>, <input>, <button>: Forms and user input
- <table>, <tr>, <td>: Tables
- <article>, <section>, <main>: Semantic tags used for improving SEO and structure.
HTML Elements and Attributes
HTML Element
An element in HTML is said to be the building block for structuring and displaying the content. It has an opening tag, content, and a closing tag, for example:<p>Hello</p>. In HTML, some elements are considered to be self-closing, like <img /> or <br />. It instructs the browser on how to display and handle the content inside them. It has the attribute that provides you with extra information like class, id, or src. Elements can also be nested inside one another in the case of developing complex layouts.
Example:
This is an HTML element.
HTML Attribute
Attributes in HTML are used to provide extra information about the HTML element. It is always added to the opening tag of the element. Attributes are written in name-value pairs like type=”text” or href=”https://…”. You can use it for defining the element’s behaviour, style, or data. It helps you in customizing and controlling the elements displayed in the respective web page.
Example:
The src is an attribute in the <img> tag. This attribute tells the browser where to find the image.
<img src="image.jpg" />
How to Use HTML: Editors, File Structure & Browser Support
- You can use a code editor like VS Code or Atom.
- The file should be saved with the .html extension.
- For the result, you can open it in any of the browsers.
- It can be combined with CSS for styling your webpage and JavaScript for interactivity.
Common HTML Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Always try to close the tag properly.
- Nesting the tag should be correct. That means placing the tags correctly within each other.
- For accessibility, you can use the “alt” attribute along with the <img> tag.
- Start avoiding tags like <font> or <center>. Because they are outdated and no longer supported in the HTML standards.
- Try to avoid spelling mistakes.
HTML’s Role in Different Domains and Industries
1. Web Development
HTML is the foundation for the development of websites. You can use it to define a structure and content for a webpage with headings, paragraphs, links, images, and lists. HTML is used for every website in some form. The developer for the front end uses HTML with CSS for the styling and JavaScript for the interactivity, which makes it essential for the creation of the user interface or layout for the webpage.
2. Digital Marketing
HTML plays a huge role in digital marketing for creating HTML emails and landing pages. It allows the marketer to add images, links, buttons, and styled text, which can make the content more attractive than plain-text emails. Landing pages are used for campaigns, promotions, or sign-ups, and they should be responsive and optimized for the sake of the visitor.
3. Mobile Development
The HTML can be used for the hybrid mobile app development through frameworks like Apache Cordova, Ionic, or React Native WebView. In these frameworks, the developer writes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and gets them wrapped in the native container to make them run on mobile platforms like Android and iOS.
4. Education
It was also noticed that HTML is widely used in e-learning platforms and online education tools. There are some learning management systems like Moodle, Blackboard, or even custom web apps that use HTML for the purpose of course materials, quizzes, videos, and interactive content. It is a simple web design language, so it is taught to beginners in computer science
Evolution of HTML: From HTML1.0 to HTML5
While HTML has evolved but the basics of HTML have remained the same, which makes it a skill that can be learned over the years. Here are the versions of HTML that have evolved from HTML1.0 to HTML5.
- HTML 1.0 (1991): It has the basic text and links.
- HTML 2.0 (1995): It improved by adding forms and tables.
- HTML 3.2 (1997): Scripting is introduced.
- HTML 4.01 (1999): It separates the content and design.
- XHTML (2000): XML-compliant HTML.
- HTML5 (2014): It supports multimedia, semantic tags, and APIs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of HTML
Advantages:
- It is supported universally.
- You can learn HTML easily.
- It is lightweight and SEO friendly
Disadvantages:
- Styling properties are limited, and it requires CSS for styling.
- It is not dynamic, it requires JavaScript.
- It may be prone to XSS attacks.
It is used for collecting input from the user in a secure way.
Example:
<form>
<input type="text" placeholder="Your name">
</form>
You can add video and images using the native tags in the HTML.
Example:
<video controls>
<source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>
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What is HTML5?
The full form of HTML5 stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is the latest version of HTML, which is the standard language used to create and structure content on the web.
Features of HTML5
Here are some key HTML5 features discussed briefly:
- Semantic elements like <header>, <footer>, <article>, and <section> are the HTML5 features that help in structuring web content efficiently and improving accessibility.
- HTML5 supports local storage and session storage through the Web Storage API, which allows web applications to store data on the client-side.
- The
<canvas> element is also a HTML5 feature that helps in the dynamic rendering of 2D graphics for games, visualizations, or custom drawings.
- HTML5 allows for offline web application capabilities using features like the Application Cache and Service Workers with JavaScript.
- HTML5 is backward-compatible and designed to work in older browsers while providing better features for modern web development.
HTML vs XHTML vs HTML5
Now, let’s see the comparison of HTML vs XHTML vs HTML5 on the basis of different aspects:
| Feature |
HTML |
XHTML |
HTML5 |
| Full Form |
HyperText Markup Language |
Extensible Hypertext Markup Language |
HTML version 5 |
| Standard Type |
SGML-based |
XML-based |
HTML-based (with new features) |
| Syntax Rules |
Flexible |
Strict |
More flexible than XHTML |
| Closing Tags |
Optional for some elements |
Mandatory |
Optional for some elements |
| Case Sensitivity |
Not case-sensitive |
Case-sensitive (tags must be lowercase) |
Not case-sensitive |
| Doctype Declaration |
Simple or omitted |
Must be properly defined |
Simplified declaration |
| Error Handling |
Easy (browsers auto-correct) |
Strict (errors may break rendering) |
More Difficult error handling |
| Browser Support |
Widely supported |
Less support (strict parsing) |
Fully supported in modern browsers |
| Media & Graphics |
Limited support |
Limited |
Built-in support (audio, video, canvas, SVG) |
| Usage Today |
Still in use but outdated |
Rarely used |
Current standard for web development |
Here is a list of some of the most commonly used HTML tags with examples.
| Tag |
Description |
Example |
| <a> |
Anchor (link) |
<a href=”https://example.com”>Visit</a> |
| <article> |
Self-contained content unit |
<article><h3>Post Title</h3></article> |
| <aside> |
Sidebar or secondary content |
<aside>Related Links</aside> |
| <body> |
Main content of the page |
<body> … </body> |
| <br> |
Line break (no closing tag) |
Hello<br>World |
| <button> |
Clickable button |
<button type=”submit”>Submit</button> |
| <div> |
Division/block container |
<div>Section</div> |
| <em> |
Italic text (semantic) |
<em>Note</em> |
| <footer> |
Bottom of a page or section |
<footer>© 2025 My Site</footer> |
| <form> |
Form container |
<form action=”/submit”> … </form> |
| <h1> to <h6> |
Headings from largest to smallest |
<h1>Main Title</h1> |
| <head> |
Contains metadata/info |
<head> … </head> |
| <header> |
The top section of a page or section |
<header>Site Logo</header> |
| <hr> |
Horizontal rule (divider) |
<hr> |
| <html> |
Root of an HTML document |
<html> … </html> |
| <img> |
Image |
<img src=”image.jpg” alt=”Image”> |
| <input> |
User input field |
<input type=”text” name=”name”> |
| <label> |
Label for input field |
<label for=”name”>Name:</label> |
| <li> |
List item |
<li>List Item</li> |
| <main> |
Main content of the page |
<main>Article Content</main> |
| <nav> |
Navigation links section |
<nav><a href=”#”>Home</a></nav> |
| <ol> |
Ordered list |
<ol><li>Item</li></ol> |
| <p> |
Paragraph |
<p>This is a paragraph.</p> |
| <section> |
A thematic grouping of content |
<section><h2>Blog</h2></section> |
| <select> |
Drop-down menu |
<select><option>One</option></select> |
| <span> |
Inline container |
<span>Inline text</span> |
| <strong> |
Bold text (semantic) |
<strong>Important</strong> |
| <table> |
Table container |
<table> … </table> |
| <td> |
Table cell |
<td>Data</td> |
| <textarea> |
Multi-line input field |
<textarea></textarea> |
| <th> |
Table header |
<th>Heading</th> |
| <title> |
Title shown in browser tab |
<title>My Website</title> |
| <tr> |
Table row |
<tr><td>Cell</td></tr> |
| <ul> |
Unordered list |
<ul><li>Item</li></ul> |
Conclusion
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the backbone for developing web pages. You can use this to structure the content. You can define the layout, add multimedia, and improve the interactivity by combining CSS and JavaScript. It is known for its simplicity, universality, and browser compatibility. It is the foundation of the web, where HTML continues to evolve and adapt to modern requirements. Thus, understanding the HTML basics with its advantages, disadvantages, examples, and HTML vs XHTML vs HTML5.
What is HTML – FAQs
Q1. What is HTML?
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is used for creating and structuring web pages by defining the elements.
Q2. What is the full form of HTML?
The full form of HTML is HyperText Markup Language.
Q3. Who created HTML?
It was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991 as a basic tool for the World Wide Web.
Q4. What is the basic structure of an HTML document?
It starts with <!DOCTYPE html> and followed by <html>, <head>, and <body>.
Q5. What are HTML tags?
It is the building block of the webpages, and you can use it for organizing and defining elements like text, images, and links.
Q6. Can HTML be combined with other technologies?
Yes, you can combine HTML with CSS and JavaScript for styling and scripting.
Q7. What is the difference between HTML and HTML5?
HTML5 is the latest version of HTML that includes new features like audio, video, canvas, and improved semantic elements, which are not available in earlier versions of HTML.
Q8. What are semantic HTML tags and why are they important?
Semantic HTML tags tell us the meaning of the content they contain, and makes web pages more easily accessible, SEO-friendly, and easier to maintain.
Q9. What’s the future of HTML?
The future of HTML focuses on better performance, better multimedia support, and enhanced accessibility for evolving web technologies.