HTML · Chapter 1 of 45

HTML Introduction

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the standard language used to create web pages, describing the structure of content using elements made of tags.

Every website you visit is built with HTML at its core, often combined with CSS for styling and JavaScript for behavior. Learning HTML is the first step to becoming a web developer.

What HTML does

HTML uses tags like <p>, <h1>, and <div> to tell the browser how to display content — paragraphs, headings, images, links, and more. Browsers read HTML and render it visually.

HTML is not a programming language

HTML is a markup language, meaning it describes structure rather than logic. It has no variables or loops, just elements that wrap content.

Example 1 (html)
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
My First Heading
My first paragraph.

A minimal HTML page with a heading and a paragraph.

Example 2 (html)
<p>Hello, World!</p>
Output
Hello, World!

A single paragraph element rendered by the browser.

Key points

  • HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language.
  • It describes the structure of web pages using elements.
  • Browsers render HTML tags into visible content.
  • HTML works alongside CSS (style) and JavaScript (behavior).
💡 Note: HTML is maintained by the W3C and WHATWG standards bodies.

📝 Quick Quiz

1. What does HTML stand for?

2. HTML is used to:

3. Which languages typically work alongside HTML?