HTML Tag Reference

Alphabetical reference of all HTML tags — 112 elements with quick descriptions.HTML5 marks new tags in HTML5, Deprecated marks removed or discouraged tags.

Tag	Description
! —Special
<!--...-->	Defines an HTML comment. Content inside is hidden from the browser.
<!DOCTYPE>	Declares the document type. Tells the browser to render in standards mode.
A
<a>	Creates a hyperlink to another page, file, email address, or location within the same page.
<abbr>	Marks an abbreviation or acronym. The `title` attribute expands the full term on hover.
<acronym> Deprecated	Defined an acronym. Not supported in HTML5 —use `<abbr>` instead.
<address>	Provides contact information for the author or owner of the page or article. Typically rendered in italics.
<area>	Defines a clickable region inside an image map. Works with `<map>` to create interactive hotspots.
<article> HTML5	Represents a self-contained piece of content that could be distributed independently —blog post, news story, forum thread.
<aside> HTML5	Defines content that is tangentially related to the main content —sidebars, callout boxes, pull quotes.
<audio> HTML5	Embeds sound content. Supports MP3, WAV, and OGG formats with fallback via `<source>`.
B
<b>	Draws attention to text without conveying extra importance. Rendered as bold by default.
<base>	Sets the base URL for all relative links in the document. Only one `<base>` per page.
<bdi> HTML5	Isolates a span of text that may be formatted in a different writing direction. Prevents bidirectional text confusion.
<bdo>	Overrides the current text direction. Use `dir="rtl"` or `dir="ltr"` to control rendering.
<blockquote>	Represents a long quotation that is pulled from another source. Browsers typically indent it.
<body>	Contains the visible content of the HTML document —text, images, tables, forms, and everything the user sees.
<br>	Inserts a line break. Use for short inline breaks like addresses or poems, not for spacing.
<button>	Creates a clickable button. Can submit forms, reset fields, or trigger JavaScript.
C
<canvas> HTML5	Provides a drawable region controlled by JavaScript. Used for graphics, charts, animations, and game rendering.
<caption>	Adds a visible title to a table. Always appears immediately after the opening `<table>` tag.
<cite>	Marks the title of a creative work —book, article, song, movie. Rendered in italics by default.
<code>	Displays a fragment of computer code. Browsers render it in a monospace font.
<col>	Defines column properties within a `<colgroup>`. Useful for applying consistent widths or styles to entire columns.
<colgroup>	Groups one or more `<col>` elements to apply formatting across table columns.
D
<data> HTML5	Links a piece of content to a machine-readable value via the `value` attribute.
<datalist> HTML5	Provides a set of predefined options for an `<input>` field, enabling autocomplete suggestions as the user types.
<dd>	Supplies the description or value for a term in a description list (`<dl>`).
<del>	Represents text that has been removed from the document. Browsers render it with a strikethrough.
<details> HTML5	Creates an interactive disclosure widget that users can expand or collapse to reveal additional content.
<dfn>	Marks the defining instance of a term. The term itself is typically rendered in italics.
<dialog> HTML5	Represents a dialog box or interactive popup window. Can be shown modally with JavaScript.
<div>	The generic block-level container. Used for layout and grouping when no semantic element fits.
<dl>	Creates a description list —a list of term-description pairs using `<dt>` and `<dd>`.
<dt>	Defines a term or name in a description list (`<dl>`).
E
<em>	Indicates emphasis. The content is typically rendered in italics —think of it as verbal stress in a sentence.
<embed> HTML5	Embeds external content like PDFs, browser plugins, or interactive media directly into the page.
F
<fieldset>	Groups related form controls together, drawing a border around them for visual clarity.
<figcaption> HTML5	Provides a caption or legend for the content inside a `<figure>` element.
<figure> HTML5	Wraps self-contained media —images, diagrams, code snippets, charts —often paired with `<figcaption>`.
<footer> HTML5	Defines the footer of a page or section —typically holds copyright info, links, and authorship details.
<form>	Creates an interactive form that collects user input and sends it to a server for processing.
<frame> Removed	An old HTML4 frame element. Removed in HTML5 —use `<iframe>` instead.
<frameset> Removed	An old HTML4 frameset container. Removed in HTML5 —use `<iframe>` instead.
H
<h1> - <h6>	Heading elements from level 1 (most important) to level 6 (least important). Used to structure page content hierarchically.
<head>	Holds metadata about the page —title, character set, styles, scripts, and other information not displayed directly.
<header> HTML5	Represents introductory content —navigation links, logos, headings. Can be used per page or per section.
<hgroup> HTML5	Groups a set of headings (`<h1>`—code><h6>) to treat them as a single title with a subtitle.
<hr>	Draws a horizontal rule —a visible separator between thematic sections of content.
<html>	The root element of an HTML document. All other elements are descendants of this tag.
I
<i>	Denotes text in an alternate voice —technical terms, foreign phrases, thoughts. Rendered in italics.
<iframe>	Embeds another HTML document inline. Used for videos, maps, ads, and external content.
<img>	Embeds an image. Requires `src` (file path) and `alt` (accessible description).
<input>	The most versatile form control —supports over 20 types including text, password, date, file, checkbox, and radio.
<ins>	Marks text that has been inserted into the document. Browsers render it with an underline.
K
<kbd>	Represents keyboard input —keys the user should press. Often rendered in a monospace font.
L
<label>	Defines a label for a form control. Clicking the label focuses or activates the associated input.
<legend>	Provides a caption for a `<fieldset>` group, describing the purpose of the grouped controls.
<li>	Represents a single item in an ordered (`<ol>`) or unordered (`<ul>`) list.
<link>	Links external resources —most commonly stylesheets. Placed inside `<head>`. Also used for favicons and preloading.
M
<main> HTML5	Identifies the dominant content of the page. There must be only one `<main>` per document.
<map>	Defines a client-side image map —a way to make parts of an image clickable using `<area>` tags.
<mark> HTML5	Highlights text for reference or notation —like a yellow marker pen on a printed page.
<menu> HTML5	Represents a set of commands or a toolbar menu. Can replace `<ul>` for semantic menu lists.
<meta>	Defines metadata about the document —character encoding, description, viewport settings, and more.
<meter> HTML5	Displays a scalar measurement within a known range —disk usage, memory consumption, rating score.
N
<nav> HTML5	Defines a block of navigation links —main menus, table of contents, breadcrumbs.
<noscript>	Provides fallback content displayed when JavaScript is disabled or unsupported in the browser.
O
<object>	Embeds external resources —PDFs, Flash (legacy), or other plugins. Declarative alternative to `<embed>`.
<ol>	Creates an ordered (numbered) list. Each item is wrapped in `<li>`.
<optgroup>	Groups related `<option>` elements inside a `<select>` dropdown with a visible label.
<option>	Represents a single choice inside a `<select>`, `<datalist>`, or `<optgroup>`.
<output> HTML5	Displays the result of a calculation or a user action —perfect for live form feedback.
P
<p>	Defines a paragraph of text. The most fundamental block-level text container in HTML.
<param>	Defines parameters for an `<object>` element. Used with legacy plugins like Flash.
<picture> HTML5	Provides responsive image alternatives based on screen size, resolution, or format support via multiple `<source>` elements.
<pre>	Renders preformatted text —preserves spaces and line breaks. Rendered in monospace, ideal for code blocks.
<progress> HTML5	Shows the completion progress of a task —file upload, form steps, or any ongoing process.
Q
<q>	Marks a short inline quotation. Browsers automatically add quotation marks around the content.
R
<rp> HTML5	Provides fallback parentheses for browsers that don't support ruby annotations.
<rt> HTML5	Defines the pronunciation or annotation text in a ruby annotation (used for East Asian typography).
<ruby> HTML5	Wraps a ruby annotation —small guide text above or next to East Asian characters to indicate pronunciation.
S
<s>	Represents content that is no longer accurate or relevant. Rendered with a strikethrough.
<samp>	Displays sample output from a computer program. Rendered in monospace type.
<script>	Embeds or references executable JavaScript code. Can be placed inline or linked to an external file.
<section> HTML5	Defines a thematic grouping of content —chapters, tab panels, or any distinct section of a page.
<select>	Creates a dropdown selection list. Options are defined with `<option>` elements.
<slot> HTML5	A placeholder inside a Web Component that can be filled with custom markup when the component is used.
<small>	Renders side-comments and fine print —copyright notes, disclaimers, legal text. Browsers display it one size smaller.
<source> HTML5	Specifies multiple media resources for `<audio>`, `<video>`, or `<picture>`. The browser picks the first compatible format.
<span>	The generic inline container. Used for styling or scripting small portions of text without changing the document flow.
<strong>	Indicates strong importance, seriousness, or urgency. Browsers render it in bold —more significant than `<b>`.
<style>	Contains CSS rules that apply directly to the page. Can be scoped with `media` queries.
<sub>	Renders subscript text —lowered below the baseline. Used in chemical formulas (H₂O) and footnotes.
<summary> HTML5	Provides the visible heading for a `<details>` collapse widget. Clicking it toggles the details open or closed.
<sup>	Renders superscript text —raised above the baseline. Commonly used for ordinal numbers (1st) and mathematical exponents.
T
<table>	Creates an HTML table for displaying structured data in rows and columns.
<tbody>	Groups the body rows of a table. Helps with semantic structure and targeted styling.
<td>	Defines a standard data cell in a table. Content can be text, images, or other HTML elements.
<template> HTML5	Stores HTML fragments that aren't rendered immediately. JavaScript can clone and insert them later.
<textarea>	Creates a multi-line text input control. Useful for comments, messages, and longer form responses.
<tfoot>	Groups the footer rows of a table —typically used for summaries, totals, or column notes.
<th>	Defines a header cell in a table. Rendered bold and centered by default. Improves accessibility for screen readers.
<thead>	Groups the header rows of a table. Combined with `<tbody>` and `<tfoot>` for semantic table structure.
<time> HTML5	Marks a specific time or date in a machine-readable format. Helps search engines display event snippets.
<title>	Sets the page title shown in the browser tab. Also used as the clickable headline in search results.
<tr>	Defines a row in an HTML table. Contains `<th>` or `<td>` cells.
<track> HTML5	Adds timed text tracks (subtitles, captions, descriptions) to `<video>` or `<audio>` elements.
U
<u>	Renders text with an underline. Originally for links, now used for misspelled words or proper names in Chinese/Japanese.
<ul>	Creates an unordered (bulleted) list. Each item is wrapped in `<li>`.
V
<var>	Represents a variable name in mathematical expressions or programming code. Typically rendered in italics.
<video> HTML5	Embeds video content directly in the page. Supports MP4, WebM, and OGG with fallback via `<source>`.
W
<wbr> HTML5	Suggests an optional word-break point. Tells the browser it's OK to break a long word at this position.

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