The Language That Marks Up Web Content
What is HTML?
HTML is the language used to mark up the structure of a webpage — headings, paragraphs, links, images. It's plain text with tags.
What you'll learn
- Recognize what HTML is and why it exists
- Tell content from styling
- See your first HTML document
HTML stands for “HyperText Markup Language”. It’s the format your browser reads to render a webpage. Plain text, structured with tags, that describe what each piece of content is — a heading, a paragraph, a link, an image.
Your First HTML
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>My first page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello, web!</h1>
<p>This is my first webpage. <a href="/about">About me</a>.</p>
</body>
</html>Save that as index.html, double-click it, and your browser opens
a real webpage. No build step, no install — HTML works directly.
Three Languages, Three Jobs
| Language | Job |
|---|---|
| HTML | Structure and content — “this is a heading” |
| CSS | Look and feel — “headings are blue, 24px” |
| JavaScript | Behavior — “when the user clicks, do this” |
This course covers HTML and CSS. JavaScript has its own track.
What HTML Is Not
- Not a programming language. No variables, no loops, no logic.
- Not “design”. HTML describes structure; CSS handles appearance.
- Not just for static sites. Every site you visit starts as HTML — including the most complex web apps.
Why Learn HTML & CSS First
Frameworks (React, Vue, Astro) all output HTML and apply CSS in the end. The better you know what they’re producing, the better decisions you make on top.
Up Next
The bits of boilerplate every page needs — <!doctype html> and
the document skeleton.