HTML Tags Cheat Sheet (2025) — Quick Reference with SEO & Accessibility Notes

Learn 50+ HTML tags with examples, SEO benefits, and real-world usage. Perfect for developers, designers, and SEO experts 🚀

HTML tags with examples

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<html> Tag

The <html> tag represents the root element of an HTML document. All other tags must be nested inside it.

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head></head> <body></body> </html>
  • It defines the root of the document, ensuring browsers parse the structure correctly.
  • It holds all other HTML elements within a valid hierarchy.
  • This attribute inside <html> specifies the page language, helping accessibility tools and SEO.
  • Attribute improves search engines’ understanding of content language, which supports international SEO.
  • Defines document structure so crawlers can properly index the page.
  • Ensures accessibility, making your website more user-friendly for screen readers and global audiences.
html tags

<title> Tag

Defines the title of a webpage, shown in browser tabs and search engine results.

<title>HTML Tags Guide</title>
  • Why use: Helps identify the page content quickly.
  • SEO Benefit: One of the most important on-page SEO elements.
  • Other: Keep under 60 characters for best SEO performance.

<meta> Tag

Provides metadata like description, charset, viewport settings, and keywords.

<meta name="description" content="Learn HTML tags">
  • Why use: Gives search engines and browsers important info.
  • SEO Benefit: description meta impacts CTR from search results.
  • Other: Use viewport meta for responsive design.

<body> Tag

Contains all visible webpage content including text, images, and interactive elements.

<body> <h1>Hello World</h1> <p>This is my page</p> </body>
  • Why use: Defines visible part of HTML.
  • SEO Benefit: Proper hierarchy helps crawlers understand content.

<h1> Tag

Defines the main heading of a page. Only one <h1> should exist per page.

<h1>HTML Tags Guide</h1>
  • Why use: Represents the main topic of the page.
  • SEO Benefit: Major ranking factor; search engines rely on it heavily.

<h2> Tag

Defines secondary headings, useful for structuring content under <h1>.

<h2>SEO Benefits of HTML Tags</h2>
  • Why use: To organize content sections clearly.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps crawlers understand content hierarchy.

<h3> Tag

Used for sub-subheadings beneath <h2>.

<h3>Example Section</h3>
  • Why use: Provides deeper structure.
  • SEO Benefit: Supports semantic structure and keyword placement.

<h4> Tag

Used for smaller headings within <h3> sections.

<h4>Sub Topic</h4>
  • Why use: To provide fine-grained structure.
  • SEO Benefit: Not as strong as <h1>, but aids readability & keyword distribution.

<h5> Tag

Subheading deeper than <h4>.

<h5>Minor Sub Section</h5>
  • Why use: For less critical headings.
  • SEO Benefit: Minor, but supports structure & accessibility.

<h6> Tag

The lowest level heading, often used for captions or small notes.

<h6>Footnote</h6>
  • Why use: Marks very minor sections.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal, but keeps hierarchy clean.

<p> Tag

Defines a paragraph of text.

<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
  • Why use: For clear, readable text.
  • SEO Benefit: Proper paragraphs improve readability and ranking.

↩<br> Tag

Inserts a single line break.

Hello<br>World
  • Why use: To break text lines manually.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal, but improves formatting for crawlers & users.

<hr> Tag

Represents a thematic break between content sections.

<hr>
  • Why use: To separate content clearly.
  • SEO Benefit: Aids readability & improves UX, indirectly helping SEO.

<a> Tag

Defines hyperlinks to navigate between pages or sections.

<a href="https://codeformatting.com">Visit Example</a>
  • Why use: Essential for navigation.
  • SEO Benefit: Anchor text helps search engines understand linked content.

<img> Tag

Displays images on a webpage.

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
  • Why use: For visuals, branding, and design.
  • SEO Benefit: Alt attributes improve accessibility and image SEO rankings.

<strong> Tag

Emphasizes text with strong importance (usually bold).

<strong>Important</strong>
  • Why use: To highlight critical words.
  • SEO Benefit: Search engines may treat emphasized words as more relevant.

<em> Tag

Emphasizes text in an italic style.

<em>Highlighted</em>
  • Why use: For words requiring subtle emphasis.
  • SEO Benefit: Adds semantic meaning, helping crawlers understand context.

<b> Tag

Makes text bold, without semantic importance.

<b>Bold Text</b>
  • Why use: For styling emphasis.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal compared to <strong>, but improves readability.

<s> Tag

The <s> tag represents text that is no longer accurate or relevant — rendered with a strikethrough.

<p>Old price: <s>$49.99</s></p>
  • Why use: To visually show removed or obsolete content without deleting it.
  • SEO Benefit: Keeps historical/contextual text accessible to crawlers — useful for content clarity; but don't mark up important keywords as removed.
  • Other: Use <del> when you want to indicate deletions with semantic meaning for edits.

<u> Tag

The <u> tag represents text with an unarticulated non-emphatic annotation — typically displayed underlined.

<p>This is an <u>underlined note</u> for emphasis.</p>
  • Why use: For stylistic underlining when semantics are not the goal.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal; avoid using <u> for links — use <a> instead.
  • Other: CSS is usually preferred for styling underlines to separate content from presentation.

<small> Tag

The <small> tag renders side-comments and small print (like copyright or disclaimers).

<p>Terms apply. <small>See full T&C</small></p>
  • Why use: To semantically mark boilerplate or legal notes.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps crawlers differentiate primary content from legal or auxiliary text.
  • Other: Keep critical keywords out of <small> since search engines weigh them less.

<mark> Tag

The <mark> tag highlights parts of text (yellow by default) — great for search-result highlighting.

<p>Search result: <mark>html tags</mark></p>
  • Why use: To visually mark relevant text snippets.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves UX by showing users highlighted keyword matches — can increase CTR and time on page.
  • Other: Use sparingly — avoid over-highlighting which can dilute meaning.

<del> Tag

The <del> tag semantically marks text that has been removed from the document (often combined with datetime).

<p>Version 1: <del datetime="2025-01-01">Old text</del></p>
  • Why use: To show historical edits with semantic meaning.
  • SEO Benefit: Maintains transparency for users and crawlers; useful in changelogs.
  • Other: Combine with <ins> for edit histories.

<ins> Tag

The <ins> tag indicates inserted text, often used together with <del> for revision tracking.

<p>Changes: <del>old</del> <ins>new</ins></p>
  • Why use: To show additions clearly in docs or articles.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps crawlers understand content evolution; good for editorial transparency.
  • Other: Use datetime when timestamping edits.

<sub> Tag

The <sub> tag displays text as subscript (e.g., chemical formulas or footnote markers).

H<sub>2</sub>O
  • Why use: For scientific notation or chemical formulas.
  • SEO Benefit: Proper semantic marking helps accessibility and accurate content parsing.
  • Other: Avoid using CSS hacks; use the semantic tag for best accessibility.

<sup> Tag

The <sup> tag renders superscript text (e.g., exponents, footnote references).

x<sup>2</sup> = x * x
  • Why use: For mathematical exponents or citation marks.
  • SEO Benefit: Keeps meaning explicit for screen readers and parsers.
  • Other: Combine with aria-label if the content needs verbose explanation for accessibility.

<code> Tag

The <code> tag indicates a fragment of computer code — inline or block-level when used with <pre>.

<p>Use <code>git commit</code> to save changes.</p>
  • Why use: To semantically mark code snippets for readers and tools.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves readability for technical content and helps search engines index code snippets accurately.
  • Other: For larger code blocks, wrap <code> inside <pre> for preserved whitespace.

⌨<kbd> Tag

The <kbd> tag denotes user input from a keyboard or device (e.g., shortcut keys).

Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>S</kbd> to save.
  • Why use: To visually and semantically indicate keyboard shortcuts.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances the usability of documentation pages; minor indirect SEO benefits via better UX.
  • Other: Style with CSS to match your design system for clarity.

<var> Tag

The <var> tag represents a variable or placeholder in code or math expressions.

<p>Let <var>x</var> be the number of items.</p>
  • Why use: To semantically mark variables for readability and parsing.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps technical content be understood correctly by bots and assistive tech.
  • Other: Works well with <code> and <pre> for documentation.

<samp> Tag

The <samp> tag denotes sample output from a program or system.

<p>Output: <samp>File saved successfully</samp></p>
  • Why use: To distinguish system output from code input or prose.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves clarity for technical articles and helps indexing of example outputs.
  • Other: Keep sample output concise and accurate for best educational value.

<pre> Tag

The <pre> tag preserves whitespace and line breaks — ideal for formatted code blocks or ASCII art.

<pre>
function sum(a, b) {
return a + b;
}
</pre>
  • Why use: To show preformatted text exactly as written.
  • SEO Benefit: Makes code and formatted examples clear to both users and crawlers.
  • Other: Pair with syntax highlighting libraries for better UX.

<blockquote> Tag

The <blockquote> tag indicates a long quotation from another source — often displayed indented.

<blockquote>This is a quoted passage from a book.</blockquote>
  • Why use: To give proper semantic markup to long quotes.
  • SEO Benefit: Quotes can enrich content and may be picked up as featured snippets when valuable.
  • Other: Include a <cite> or cite attribute for attribution.

<cite> Tag

The <cite> tag represents the title of a work (book, article, song) or the source of a quote.

<p>— <cite>Pride and Prejudice</cite></p>
  • Why use: To semantically mark sources and titles.
  • SEO Benefit: Proper citation improves credibility and may help content authority signals.
  • Other: Not for citing people’s names — use within <blockquote> or nearby markup for clarity.

” <q> Tag

The <q> tag is for short, inline quotations — browsers often render them with quotation marks.

<p>She said, <q>Hello there.</q></p>
  • Why use: For short quotes inside paragraphs.
  • SEO Benefit: Proper semantic usage aids content parsing and readability.
  • Other: Use <blockquote> for longer excerpts.

<address> Tag

The <address> tag contains contact information for the nearest article or page author/owner.

<address> Acme Co. <br> 123 Main St. <br> support@example.com </address>
  • Why use: To semantically mark contact details and organization info.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps local SEO and structured data signals; good for knowledge panel relevance.
  • Other: Avoid using for generic page footers unrelated to contact info.

⏱<time> Tag

The <time> tag represents a specific date/time; supports a machine-readable datetime attribute.

<time datetime="2025-09-12">September 12, 2025</time>
  • Why use: To mark dates/times for events, posts, or schedules.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves indexing of event dates and can help rich results/time-sensitive content.
  • Other: Always use the ISO 8601 format in the datetime attribute for machine readability.

<meter> Tag

The <meter> tag represents a scalar measurement within a known range (e.g., disk usage, battery level).

<meter min="0" max="100" value="70">70%</meter>
  • Why use: To display quantitative gauges with semantic meaning.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves UX and accessibility; some crawlers can extract structured UI info.
  • Other: Use ARIA attributes if needed for better screen-reader announcements.

<progress> Tag

The <progress> tag displays progress of a task (e.g., file upload) — shows completion percentage.

<progress value="40" max="100">40%</progress>
  • Why use: To provide visual feedback on ongoing tasks.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves user engagement and perceived performance — indirect SEO gain.
  • Other: Complement with text labels for accessibility.

<canvas> Tag

Used to draw graphics, charts, and animations via JavaScript.

<canvas id="myCanvas"></canvas>
  • Why use: For dynamic, interactive visuals like games or charts.
  • SEO Benefit: No direct benefit, but enhances user engagement.

<caption> Tag

Provides a title or explanation for a <table> element.

<table> <caption>Monthly Sales Data</caption> <tr><th>Month</th><th>Sales</th></tr> </table>
  • Why use: Improves accessibility and context for tables.
  • SEO Benefit: Adds semantic meaning, helping search engines understand data context.

<col> Tag

Defines attributes for columns in a table.

<table> <colgroup> <col style="background:lightgray"> <col style="background:white"> </colgroup> </table>
  • Why use: Apply styles or attributes to entire columns.
  • SEO Benefit: No direct effect, but enhances data presentation.

<colgroup> Tag

Groups one or more <col> elements in a table for styling.

<colgroup> <col span="2" style="background-color:yellow"> </colgroup>
  • Why use: Organizes table columns logically.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves table readability for users, indirectly helping SEO.

<data> Tag

Links content with machine-readable data values.

<data value="101">Product A</data>
  • Why use: Bridges human-readable text with machine-readable data.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps search engines better understand structured data.

<datalist> Tag

Provides autocomplete suggestions for <input> fields.

<input list="browsers"> <datalist id="browsers"> <option value="Chrome"> <option value="Firefox"> </datalist>
  • Why use: Enhances user input experience.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves form usability, indirectly boosting engagement.

<details> Tag

Creates a collapsible disclosure widget.

<details> <summary>More Info</summary> <p>Hidden content goes here.</p> </details>
  • Why use: Show/hide optional content.
  • SEO Benefit: Search engines index hidden content inside, helping keyword coverage.

<dfn> Tag

Represents the defining instance of a term.

<p><dfn>SEO</dfn> stands for Search Engine Optimization.</p>
  • Why use: Highlights first-time term definitions.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps with glossary and knowledge graph recognition.

<dialog> Tag

Defines a modal or popup dialog box.

<dialog open>Hello World</dialog>
  • Why use: For pop-ups, modals, or confirmation boxes.
  • SEO Benefit: No direct effect, but improves user interaction.

<div> Tag

Defines a generic container for grouping content.

<div className="container">Content here</div>
  • Why use: Flexible layout container.
  • SEO Benefit: Neutral tag, but useful when combined with semantic tags.

<dl> Tag

Represents a description list (terms and definitions).

<dl> <dt>HTML</dt> <dd>HyperText Markup Language</dd> </dl>
  • Why use: For glossaries or Q&A formats.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps structured content appear in rich snippets.

<dt> Tag

Defines a term inside a <dl> list.

<dt>CSS</dt>
  • Why use: Mark important glossary terms.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances structured glossary or FAQ SEO.

ℹ<dd> Tag

Defines a description or value in a <dl> list.

<dd>Cascading Style Sheets</dd>
  • Why use: Provides explanation for a glossary term.
  • SEO Benefit: Supports structured definition SEO.

<embed> Tag

Embeds external content (e.g., video, audio, plugins).

<embed src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  • Why use: To include external multimedia content.
  • SEO Benefit: Increases engagement with multimedia.

<fieldset> Tag

Groups form fields together under one section.

<fieldset> <legend>User Info</legend> <input type="text"> </fieldset>
  • Why use: Improves form accessibility and structure.
  • SEO Benefit: Better user experience leads to lower bounce rates.

<figcaption> Tag

Provides a caption for an image or media inside <figure>.

<figure> <img src="image.jpg" alt="Nature"> <figcaption>A beautiful landscape</figcaption> </figure>
  • Why use: Adds descriptions to visuals.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps with image SEO and accessibility.

<figure> Tag

Used to group self-contained content like images, diagrams, or code snippets with captions.

<figure> <img src="sunset.jpg" alt="Sunset"> <figcaption>A calm evening view</figcaption> </figure>
  • Why use: Semantic grouping of media content.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps Google associate captions with media.

<form> Tag

Defines an input form for user data submission.

<form action="/submit" method="post"> <input type="text" name="username"> <button>Submit</button> </form>
  • Why use: Collect user input.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves interactivity, boosting engagement signals.

ℹ<i> Tag

Displays text in italic without semantic emphasis.

<i>Italic Text</i>
  • Why use: Style for alternate voice or labels.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal, better to use <em> for SEO meaning.

<iframe> Tag

Embeds another HTML page inside a current page.

<iframe src="https://example.com"></iframe>
  • Why use: Embed videos, maps, or external content.
  • SEO Benefit: Indirect; must optimize embedded content separately.

⌨<input> Tag

Collects user input in forms.

<input type="email" placeholder="Enter email">
  • Why use: For interactive user data.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves form usability and conversions.

<label> Tag

Defines labels for form inputs.

<label for="name">Name:</label> <input id="name" type="text">
  • Why use: Improves form accessibility.
  • SEO Benefit: Better form usability, indirectly supporting rankings.

<audio> Tag

The <audio> tag is used to embed sound content such as music, podcasts, or sound effects directly into a webpage.

<audio controls> <source src="music.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"> Your browser does not support the audio element. </audio>
  • Why use: To provide audio without third-party plugins.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances multimedia content, increasing engagement and accessibility.

<!-- Comment -->

Comments are used in HTML to leave notes or explanations within the code, invisible to users.

<!-- This is a comment and will not appear on the page -->
  • Why use: To add notes, debugging hints, or explanations for developers.
  • SEO Benefit: None directly, but helps maintain clean code, aiding performance.

<abbr> Tag

Defines an abbreviation or acronym, often with a tooltip providing the full form.

<p>The <abbr title="World Health Organization">WHO</abbr> was founded in 1948.</p>
  • Why use: Adds clarity for readers and accessibility tools.
  • SEO Benefit: Provides semantic meaning, helping crawlers understand abbreviations.

<applet> Tag (Deprecated)

Used to embed Java applets in a page. Deprecated in HTML5 and replaced by <object> or modern APIs.

<applet code="Example.class" width="300" height="300"></applet>
  • Why use: Historical, but avoid in modern websites.
  • SEO Benefit: None; modern replacements are better for performance and indexing.

<article> Tag

Represents independent, self-contained content like a blog post, news article, or forum entry.

<article> <h2>Blog Title</h2> <p>This is an article about web development.</p> </article>
  • Why use: Defines standalone content with meaning.
  • SEO Benefit: Search engines recognize it as distinct content, improving indexing.

<area> Tag

Defines clickable areas inside an image map, linking regions of an image to URLs.

<map name="workmap"> <area shape="rect" coords="34,44,270,350" href="computer.html"> </map> <img src="office.jpg" usemap="#workmap">
  • Why use: Makes parts of an image interactive.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves accessibility when combined with alt text.

<bdi> Tag

Isolates text that might have a different directionality from surrounding text (useful for RTL/LTR languages).

<p>User: <bdi>مرحبا</bdi> scored 90 points.</p>
  • Why use: Supports multilingual text rendering correctly.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances accessibility and international SEO.

↔<bdo> Tag

Overrides the current text direction, forcing text to display left-to-right or right-to-left.

<p><bdo dir="rtl">Hello</bdo></p>
  • Why use: Manually control text direction.
  • SEO Benefit: Better indexing for multilingual sites.

<hgroup> Tag

Groups a set of <h1>–<h6> elements when a heading has multiple levels (title + subtitle).

<hgroup> <h1>Main Title</h1> <h2>Subtitle</h2> </hgroup>
  • Why use: For semantic grouping of headings.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps clarify heading hierarchy to crawlers.

<legend> Tag

The <legend> tag is used inside a <fieldset> to provide a caption or title for grouped form elements. It helps users understand the context of the grouped inputs.

<form> <fieldset> <legend>User Information</legend> <label>Name: <input type="text" /></label> <label>Email: <input type="email" /></label> </fieldset> </form>
  • Why use: Improves form usability and accessibility by describing grouped elements.
  • SEO Benefit: Indirect — improves accessibility which can positively influence search engine trust.

<object> Tag

The <object> tag embeds external resources like images, videos, audio, or PDFs directly into a webpage. It’s more versatile than <img> or <iframe>.

<object data="example.pdf" type="application/pdf" width="600" height="400"> PDF cannot be displayed. </object>
  • Why use: Allows embedding different types of external files in one tag.
  • SEO Benefit: Minimal direct benefit, but helps with accessibility if fallback text is provided.

<phrase> Tag (Obsolete)

The <phrase> element was used in very early HTML versions to define phrases. It is obsolete and replaced by semantic tags like <em> or <strong>.

<p>This is <em>important text</em> instead of using phrase.</p>
  • Why use: Should not be used today; replaced by semantic HTML.
  • SEO Benefit: None — use modern semantic elements instead.

<rp> Tag

The <rp> tag provides parentheses around ruby text annotations when a browser doesn’t support <ruby> display. Commonly used for East Asian typography.

<ruby> 漢 <rp>(</rp><rt>Kan</rt><rp>)</rp> </ruby>
  • Why use: Ensures ruby text is readable in browsers without ruby support.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves accessibility for multilingual sites, which can indirectly boost SEO.

<rt> Tag

The <rt> tag defines the pronunciation of characters in East Asian typography. It is placed inside a <ruby> element to annotate base text.

<ruby> 漢 <rt>Kan</rt> </ruby>
  • Why use: Helps readers understand pronunciation of logographic characters.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances accessibility for multilingual content, improving readability and user engagement.

<spacer> Tag (Obsolete)

The <spacer> tag was used in older HTML versions to add blank space on a page. It has been replaced by CSS-based spacing techniques like margin and padding.

<!-- Old way (not recommended) --> <spacer type="horizontal" size="20"> <!-- Modern way --> <div style="margin:20px;"></div>
  • Why use: Should not be used; modern CSS is the correct approach.
  • SEO Benefit: None — obsolete tags can harm accessibility and code quality.

<source> Tag

The <source> tag specifies multiple media resources for elements like <audio>, <video>, and <picture>. It allows browsers to choose the most compatible file.

<video controls> <source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4"> <source src="movie.webm" type="video/webm"> Your browser does not support video. </video>
  • Why use: Ensures media plays correctly across different browsers.
  • SEO Benefit: Improves accessibility and user experience, which indirectly supports SEO.

<svg> Tag

The <svg> tag defines Scalable Vector Graphics, which allow for high-quality, resolution-independent shapes, text, and images that scale perfectly on any device.

<svg width="100" height="100"> <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" stroke="blue" stroke-width="3" fill="lightblue" /> </svg>
  • Why use: Perfect for icons, charts, and responsive graphics.
  • SEO Benefit: Inline SVGs are crawlable and lightweight, improving performance and rankings.

<table> Tag

The <table> tag structures data into rows and columns, useful for displaying tabular information like schedules, statistics, or product features.

<table border="1"> <thead> <tr><th>Name</th><th>Age</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Alice</td><td>25</td></tr> <tr><td>Bob</td><td>30</td></tr> </tbody> </table>
  • Why use: Best for structured data representation.
  • SEO Benefit: Search engines can extract tabular data for featured snippets.

<tfoot> Tag

The <tfoot> tag defines footer content for a table, usually containing summaries or totals.

<table border="1"> <thead> <tr><th>Product</th><th>Price</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Shoes</td><td>$50</td></tr> <tr><td>Bag</td><td>$40</td></tr> </tbody> <tfoot> <tr><td>Total</td><td>$90</td></tr> </tfoot> </table>
  • Why use: Useful for calculations and repeated summary data.
  • SEO Benefit: Enhances readability of structured data, which helps with rich results.

<thead> Tag

The <thead> tag defines header content in a table. It groups one or more header rows at the top of the table.

<table border="1"> <thead> <tr><th>Country</th><th>Capital</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Japan</td><td>Tokyo</td></tr> <tr><td>France</td><td>Paris</td></tr> </tbody> </table>
  • Why use: Organizes table headers for clarity and accessibility.
  • SEO Benefit: Search engines interpret <thead> for better understanding of tabular data.

<track> Tag

The <track> tag provides text tracks for <audio> or <video> elements, such as subtitles, captions, or descriptions for accessibility.

<video controls> <source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4"> <track src="subtitles_en.vtt" kind="subtitles" srclang="en" label="English"> </video>
  • Why use: Improves accessibility by offering captions or translations for media.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps search engines understand multimedia content, improving visibility in video searches.

<video> Tag

The <video> tag embeds video content directly in a webpage. It supports controls like play, pause, volume, and fullscreen without requiring external plugins.

<video width="480" controls> <source src="sample.mp4" type="video/mp4"> <source src="sample.webm" type="video/webm"> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video>
  • Why use: Provides native video playback across modern browsers.
  • SEO Benefit: Indexed video content can boost engagement and ranking in search results.

<xmp> Tag (Obsolete)

The <xmp> tag was used to display preformatted text while ignoring HTML inside it. It has been replaced by <pre> and <code> for semantic markup.

<!-- Old way (not recommended) --> <xmp> <h1>This will not render as HTML</h1> </xmp> <!-- Modern way --> <pre><code> <h1>This will not render as HTML</h1> </code></pre>
  • Why use: Do not use — it is obsolete. Use <pre> or <code> instead.
  • SEO Benefit: None — obsolete tags reduce code quality and accessibility.

<aside> Tag

The <aside> tag defines secondary content that is related to the main content, such as sidebars, callout boxes, or related links. It enhances readability by separating supporting info from core content.

<article> <h2>Main Content</h2> <p>This is the primary article text.</p> <aside> <h3>Related Info</h3> <p>Additional context or links go here.</p> </aside> </article>
  • Why use: Keeps content structured, improves user focus, and provides contextual info.
  • SEO Benefit: Helps search engines differentiate between main and supporting content, which can improve structured content ranking.

FAQ

What are HTML tags and why are they important?

HTML tags are special elements used to define the structure and presentation of a webpage. They tell the browser how to display text, images, links, and other content. Without tags, a webpage would just be plain text without any formatting.

What is the difference between block-level and inline HTML tags?

Block-level tags, like <div> or <p>, take up the full width of the page and start on a new line. Inline tags, such as <span> or <a>, only take up as much space as needed and do not break the flow of text.

Are HTML tags case-sensitive?

No, HTML tags are not case-sensitive. For example, <P> and <p> work the same way. However, the common practice is to use lowercase letters for consistency and better readability.

What is the difference between <div> and <span> tags?

The <div> tag is used for dividing a page into sections and usually represents a block-level element. The <span> tag is used to apply styles or mark up a specific part of text inline without breaking the flow of content.

What are self-closing tags in HTML?

Self-closing tags are tags that do not need a closing pair. Examples include <img>, <br>, and <hr>. They represent standalone elements such as images or line breaks.

What is the purpose of semantic HTML tags?

Semantic tags, like <header>, <footer>, <article>, and <section>, describe the meaning of the content inside them. They help search engines and screen readers understand the structure of the page, improving accessibility and SEO.

Can HTML tags be nested inside each other?

Yes, tags can be nested, meaning one tag can be placed inside another. Proper nesting is crucial for valid HTML. For example, <strong><em>Text</em></strong> is correct, while overlapping tags is invalid.

What is the difference between <id> and <class> attributes in tags?

An id is unique and used to identify a single element, while a class can be used for multiple elements to apply the same style or behavior. For example, you might use id='header' for a unique section and class='btn' for multiple buttons.

Which tags are essential for every HTML document?

A basic HTML document must include <!DOCTYPE html>, <html>, <head>, <title>, and <body>. These tags provide the structure, define the document type, and contain the content of the page.

How are deprecated HTML tags handled in modern browsers?

Deprecated tags are old HTML elements that are no longer recommended, such as <font> or <center>. Modern browsers still support many of them for backward compatibility, but developers should use CSS and semantic tags instead.