Last Updated : 17 Jul, 2025
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language used to create and structure web pages.
In this guide, we learn the basics of HTML, which includes HTML tags ( <h1>, <p>, <img>, etc), attributes, elements, and document structure which collectively form a working web page.
HTML Basic Document and StructureEvery HTML document begins with a document type declaration, setting the foundation for the webpage. This section introduces basic HTML tags that structure the page, such as <head>, <body>, and <title>. Although this is not mandatory, it is a good convention to start the document with the below-mentioned tag.
HTML StructureBelow mentioned are the basic HTML tags that divide the whole page into various parts like head, body, etc.
Basic HTML Tags for Document Structure
Tags Descriptions <html> Encloses the entire HTML document, serving as the root element for all HTML content. <head> Contains header information about the webpage, including title, meta tags, and linked stylesheets. It is part of the document's structure but is not displayed on the webpage. <title> Used within the <head> section to define the title of the HTML document. It appears in the browser tab or window and provides a brief description of the webpage's content. <body> Encloses the visible content of the webpage, such as text, images, audio, videos, and links. All elements within this tag are displayed on the actual webpage when viewed in a browser.Example:
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<!--Contents of the webpage-->
<p>GeeksforGeeks is a online study platform</p>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
The HTML heading tags are used to create headings for the content of a webpage. These tags are typically placed inside the body tag. HTML offers six heading tags, from <h1> to <h6>, each displaying the heading in a different font size.
Syntax:
<h1></h1>HTML
<h2></h2>
<h3></h3>
<h4></h4>
<h5></h5>
<h6></h6>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Heading 1 (h1)</h1>
<h2>Heading 2 (h2)</h2>
<h3>Heading 3 (h3)</h3>
<h4>Heading 4 (h4)</h4>
<h5>Heading 5 (h5)</h5>
<h6>Heading 6 (h6)</h6>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
HTML <p> tags are used to write paragraph statements on a webpage. They start with the <p> tag and end with </p>. The HTML <br> tag is used to insert a single line break and does not require a closing tag. In HTML, the break tag is written as <br>.
Syntax:// for ParagraphHTML
<p> Content... </p>
// for Break
<br>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language.<br>
It is used to design web pages using a markup
language.<br>HTML is a combination of Hypertext
and Markup language.<br>Hypertext defines the
link between web pages.<br>A markup language
is used to define the text document within the
tag which defines the structure of web pages.
</p>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
The HTML <hr> tag is used to divide a page into sections by creating a horizontal line that spans from the left to the right side of the page. This is an empty tag and does not require a closing tag or any additional attributes.
Syntax:<hr>HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
HTML comments are annotations in your code that are not displayed in the browser. They are enclosed within <!--
and -->
tags and are primarily used for documentation, explanation, or temporarily disabling code during debugging.
<!-- This is a single-line comment -->
<!--
This is a multi-line comment
spanning multiple lines
-->
Example Usage of HTML Comments
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- This is a heading tag -->
<h1>Welcome to GeeksforGeeks</h1>
<!-- This is a paragraph tag -->
<p>Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript here.</p>
</body>
</html>
In this example, the comments provide context about the purpose of each HTML element.
The <img> tag is used to insert an image into a webpage. The source of the image is specified within the src attribute, like this: <img src="source_of_image">.
Syntax:<img src="geeks.png">
While checking a web page, you might want to see the HTML code behind it. Here we will see how you can view HTML source code for the entire page or a specific element.
1. View HTML Source Code of Entire PageUnderstanding HTML is the first step in becoming a web developer. By learning the basic tags and structure, you can create well-organized and functional web pages. The more you practice and experiment with HTML, the better you'll understand how to create interactive, engaging, and well-optimized websites.
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HTML:
3.2
| Encoding:
UTF-8
| Version:
0.7.4