10 Common HTML Mistakes People Make (and How to Fix Them)
Chukwunonso Joseph Ofodile
When learning HTML, it’s natural to make mistakes, after all, it’s the foundation of web development and the first step for every beginner. While HTML is simple to pick up, writing clean and professional code requires knowing what not to do.
These common mistakes can break your layout, slow down your site, harm SEO, or make your website inaccessible to users. The good news? They’re easy to fix once you know what to look for.
In this article, we’ll go through the most common HTML mistakes beginners make and show you exactly how to fix them with correct examples.
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Forgetting to Close Tags
One of the simplest but most frequent mistakes is leaving tags unclosed.
❌ Wrong:
<p>This is a paragraph
Browsers sometimes auto-correct this, but it can cause layout issues.
✅ Correct:
<p>This is a paragraph</p>
Always make sure you close every tag properly.
Using Inline Styles Instead of CSS
New developers often use inline styles directly in HTML, but this makes code messy and hard to maintain.
❌ Wrong:
<p style="color:red; font-size:18px;">Hello</p>
✅ Correct:
<p class="greeting">Hello</p>
Then css file
.greeting{
color : red;
Font-size :10px;
}
Use CSS classes for reusable and clean styling.
Not Adding Alt Text to Images
Images without alt attributes hurt accessibility and SEO.
❌ Wrong:
<img src="dog.jpg">
✅ Correct:
<img src="dog.jpg" alt="A brown dog playing in the park">
Alt text helps search engines understand images and assists visually impaired users.
Nesting Elements Incorrectly
Incorrect nesting creates invalid HTML and can break your page.
❌ Wrong:
<p><h2>Welcome</h2></p>
✅ Correct:
<h2>Welcome</h2>
<p>This is the intro text.</p>
Remember: certain elements (like headings) cannot go inside paragraphs.
Overusing <br> Tags for Spacing
Beginners often add multiple <br> tags to create space, but this is bad practice.
❌ Wrong:
<p>Hello<br><br><br>World</p>
✅ Correct:
<p class="spaced">Hello</p><p>World</p>
Then CSS file
.spaced {
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
Use CSS margins and padding for spacing instead.
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Forgetting the Doctype Declaration
Without a doctype, browsers may switch to “quirks mode” and display your page incorrectly.
✅ Always start with:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>...</head>
<body>...</body>
</html>
This tells the browser to use the latest HTML standard.
Overusing <div> Instead of Semantic Tags
Some beginners wrap everything in <div> elements, but HTML5 provides semantic tags for better structure.
❌ Wrong:
<div id="header"></div>
<div id="footer"></div>
✅ Correct:
<header>...</header>
<footer>...</footer>
Semantic tags improve readability, SEO, and accessibility.
Incorrectly Linking CSS and JavaScript
Another beginner error is linking external files incorrectly.
❌ Wrong:
<link>style.css</link><script>app.js</script>
✅ Correct:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
<script src="app.js"></script>
Always use the correct attributes (rel, href, src).
Forgetting Meta Tags for Mobile Responsiveness
Without the right meta tag, your site may look broken on mobile devices.
✅ Add this inside <head>:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
This ensures your site scales properly on different screen sizes.
Mixing Up IDs and Classes
Many beginners use IDs for styling everything, but IDs should only be used for unique elements, while classes are for reusable styles.
✅ Example:
<div id="navbar"></div>
<button class="btn">Click Me</button>
Use IDs for one-of-a-kind elements and classes for styling multiple elements.
Conclusion
Learning HTML is an exciting journey, but small mistakes can make your site look unprofessional or even break it completely. By avoiding these common errors and writing clean, semantic code, you’ll create websites that are:
Easier to maintain
More accessible
Better optimized for SEO
Professional and future-proof
Mastering HTML isn’t just about knowing the tags—it’s about using them correctly. Fix these mistakes early, and you’ll be building stronger, cleaner websites in no time. Want to learn HTML5 in just 7days? Grab this book that will teach you HTML5 in just 7days, Click here to get yours
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