HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the backbone of every website. It defines the structure of a webpage using tags. If you’re a beginner learning HTML or a developer brushing up your knowledge, here’s a complete list of HTML tags with descriptions and examples.
🔹 What are HTML Tags?
- HTML tags are keywords wrapped in angle brackets
< >. - Most tags come in pairs: an opening tag
<p>and a closing tag</p>. - Some tags are self-closing like
<br>or<img>.
🔹 Basic Structure of an HTML Document
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello, World!</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
🔹 List of All HTML Tags
I’ve grouped them into categories so it’s easier to understand:
1. Document Structure Tags
<!DOCTYPE>→ Defines the document type.<html>→ Root element of HTML page.<head>→ Contains metadata, title, scripts, and styles.<title>→ Title of the document (shown in browser tab).<body>→ Contains all visible content.
2. Headings & Text Formatting
<h1>to<h6>→ Headings,<h1>is the largest,<h6>the smallest.<p>→ Paragraph.<br>→ Line break.<hr>→ Horizontal line (divider).<b>/<strong>→ Bold text.<i>/<em>→ Italic text.<u>→ Underlined text.<mark>→ Highlighted text.<small>→ Smaller text.<sup>→ Superscript (e.g., x2).<sub>→ Subscript (e.g., H2O).<abbr>→ Abbreviation tooltip.<blockquote>→ Quoted section.<code>→ Inline code snippet.<pre>→ Preformatted text (preserves spaces & newlines).
3. Lists
<ul>→ Unordered list (bullets).<ol>→ Ordered list (numbers).<li>→ List item.<dl>→ Definition list.<dt>→ Definition term.<dd>→ Definition description.
4. Links & Navigation
<a>→ Anchor (hyperlink).<nav>→ Navigation section.
5. Images & Multimedia
<img>→ Insert image.<audio>→ Add audio file.<video>→ Embed video.<source>→ Define media file source.<track>→ Subtitles/captions for video.<canvas>→ Drawing graphics.<svg>→ Scalable Vector Graphics.<map>→ Image map.<area>→ Clickable area in image map.
6. Tables
<table>→ Table.<tr>→ Table row.<td>→ Table data cell.<th>→ Table header cell.<thead>→ Group of header rows.<tbody>→ Group of body rows.<tfoot>→ Group of footer rows.<caption>→ Table caption.<col>/<colgroup>→ Column properties.
7. Forms & Input
<form>→ Form container.<input>→ Input field (text, checkbox, radio, etc.).<textarea>→ Multi-line text input.<button>→ Clickable button.<select>→ Dropdown menu.<option>→ Option in dropdown.<label>→ Label for input.<fieldset>→ Group of form fields.<legend>→ Caption for<fieldset>.<datalist>→ Autocomplete options.<output>→ Displays result of calculation.<meter>→ Displays a measurement (e.g., progress).<progress>→ Progress bar.
8. Semantic Elements (HTML5)
<header>→ Defines header section.<footer>→ Defines footer section.<main>→ Main content area.<article>→ Self-contained content.<section>→ Thematic grouping of content.<aside>→ Sidebar content.<figure>→ Image + caption.<figcaption>→ Caption for image.<time>→ Date/time.
9. Scripting & Styles
<script>→ JavaScript code.<noscript>→ Fallback if JS disabled.<style>→ CSS styling.<link>→ Link external stylesheet.
10. Miscellaneous
<div>→ Block-level container.<span>→ Inline container.<iframe>→ Embed another webpage.<embed>→ External application (e.g., Flash, PDF).<object>→ External resource (audio, video, etc.).<param>→ Parameters for<object>.
🔹 HTML Deprecated Tags
Some tags are deprecated (no longer recommended) like <font>, <center>, <big>. Use CSS instead.
🔹 Example: A Complete HTML Page
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>HTML Tags Example</title>
</head>
<body>
<header>
<h1>Welcome to HTML Tags Guide</h1>
</header>
<section>
<h2>Example List</h2>
<ul>
<li>HTML</li>
<li>CSS</li>
<li>JavaScript</li>
</ul>
</section>
<footer>
<p>© 2025 LearnersStore.com</p>
</footer>
</body>
</html>
✅ Conclusion
HTML has over 100 tags, each serving a unique purpose. If you’re starting out, focus on the most commonly used tags like <html>, <head>, <body>, <div>, <p>, <h1>–<h6>, <a>, <img>, <form>, and gradually explore advanced ones like <canvas>, <svg>, <video>.
👉 Save this post as your HTML tag reference guide.
Learners Store 