# HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

URL: https://softwaredictionary.org/terms/html
Category: Web Development
Last updated: 2026-09-29

In short: HTML is the markup language that defines the structure and content of web pages, such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and forms.

## What is HTML?

HTML describes what each piece of a web page is. It uses tags such as `<h1>`, `<p>`, and `<a>` to mark text as a heading, a paragraph, or a link, and the browser reads those tags to build the page you see.

An HTML document is a tree of elements. Most elements have an opening and a closing tag, and many accept attributes that add extra information, like the `href` of a link or the `alt` text of an image. The browser parses this text into the DOM, a live object model that CSS can style and JavaScript can change.

A useful analogy is a house: HTML is the frame and the rooms, CSS is the paint and furniture, and JavaScript is the wiring that makes things work. HTML is not a programming language, because it has no variables, loops, or logic; it only describes structure and meaning.

Semantic HTML means choosing elements that match their purpose, such as `<nav>`, `<main>`, `<article>`, and `<button>`, instead of generic `<div>` tags everywhere. It helps screen readers, search engines, and AI crawlers understand a page. HTML today is maintained by WHATWG as a Living Standard that is updated continuously rather than released in numbered versions.

## Key takeaways

- HTML defines the structure and meaning of web page content.
- Content is marked up with tags, and tags can carry attributes.
- Browsers turn HTML into the DOM, which CSS and JavaScript work with.
- HTML is a markup language, not a programming language.
- Semantic elements improve accessibility and SEO.

## Example: A minimal HTML page

```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <title>My first page</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <!-- A heading, a paragraph, and a link -->
    <h1>Hello, world</h1>
    <p>This is a paragraph of text.</p>
    <a href="https://example.com">Visit example.com</a>
  </body>
</html>
```

## Frequently asked questions

**Is HTML a programming language?**

No. HTML is a markup language: it describes the structure of content but has no logic, variables, or loops. Behavior is added with JavaScript.

**What is the difference between HTML and HTML5?**

HTML5 was the name of a major update, finalized in 2014, that added elements like `<video>`, `<canvas>`, and `<section>`. Today HTML is maintained as a single Living Standard, so the name HTML5 is mostly used informally to mean modern HTML.

**What is the difference between HTML and CSS?**

HTML defines what content is on the page and what it means, while CSS controls how that content looks, including colors, fonts, spacing, and layout.

## Sources

- [HTML Living Standard](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/)

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