Introduction to HTML

If you’ve ever wanted to build a website, HTML is where your journey begins.

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, and it’s the foundation of all web pages. Whether you're creating a simple blog or a full-featured web app, HTML is what gives your page structure.

What Exactly Is HTML?

HTML isn’t a programming language—it’s a markup language used to describe the structure of web pages.

You use tags (like <p>, <h1>, <img>, etc.) to tell the browser how to display content.

The Basic Structure of an HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
 <head>
   <title>My First Website</title>
 </head>
 <body>
   <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
   <p>This is my first HTML page.</p>
  </body>
</html>

Let’s break it down:

  • <!DOCTYPE html> – Tells the browser you're using HTML5

  • <html> – The root element of the page

  • <head> – Contains meta info like title and links to styles

  • <body> – The visible content lives here

Common HTML Tags

TagsWhat it does
<h1> to <h6>Headings
<p>Paragraph
<a href="">Link
<img src="">Image
<ul>, <ol>, <li>List
<div>Division/block container

Why Learn HTML First?

  • It’s simple to learn, even with no coding background.

  • Every website, no matter how complex, uses HTML at its core.

  • Knowing HTML helps you understand how web content works before jumping into CSS or JavaScript.

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with HTML, you'll want to learn:

  • CSS (for styling)

  • JavaScript (for interactivity)

  • Responsive design (so it works on phones and desktops)

Thanks for reading!

If you’re new to web dev, follow me for more beginner-friendly guides on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

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Written by

Chukwunonso Joseph Ofodile
Chukwunonso Joseph Ofodile