HTML Attributes Tutorial – A Complete Beginner Guide
HTML attributes provide extra information about HTML tags. They help control how elements behave, look, and function on a webpage. In this guide, you'll learn what HTML attributes are, how they work, the most common attributes, and examples with clean code.
Table of Contents
- What Are HTML Attributes?
- How Attributes Work
- HTML Global Attributes
- Most Common Attributes
- Form-Related Attributes
- Boolean Attributes
- Practical Examples
- Best Practices
What Are HTML Attributes?
HTML attributes are special values added inside HTML opening tags to provide additional information about the element. They control behavior, appearance, accessibility, and more.
Example:
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="Beautiful image">
Here:
src= image sourcealt= alternative text
How Attributes Work
Attributes always appear inside the opening tag:
<tagname attribute="value">Content</tagname>
Example:
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Site</a>
Here the href attribute tells the browser where the link goes.
HTML Global Attributes
Global attributes can be used with any HTML tag.
- id – Unique identifier
- class – CSS class name
- style – Inline CSS styling
- title – Tooltip text
- hidden – Hide an element
- draggable – Make element draggable
- contenteditable – Make element editable
Example of Global Attributes
<p id="intro" class="highlight" title="This is a paragraph">
Hello World!
</p>
Most Common HTML Attributes
1. href – Link Address
<a href="https://google.com">Visit Google</a>
2. src – Image/Video Source
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Example">
3. alt – Alternative Text
<img src="dog.jpg" alt="A cute dog">
4. width & height
<img src="cat.jpg" width="300" height="200">
5. target – Open Link in New Tab
<a href="page.html" target="_blank">Open in New Tab</a>
6. style – Inline CSS
<p style="color:red; font-size:20px;">Styled text</p>
Form-Related HTML Attributes
1. placeholder
<input type="text" placeholder="Enter your name">
2. value
<input type="text" value="Default Text">
3. required
<input type="email" required>
4. maxlength
<input type="text" maxlength="10">
5. type
<input type="password">
Boolean Attributes
Boolean attributes do not need a value. Writing them once activates them.
disabledcheckedrequiredreadonlyautoplaycontrols
Examples:
<input type="checkbox" checked>
<button disabled>Can't Click Me</button>
<video src="movie.mp4" autoplay controls></video>
Practical Examples
1. Image With Styling + Alt Text
<img src="hero.png" alt="Hero banner" width="100%" style="border-radius:10px;">
2. Link That Opens in New Tab
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" title="Open Example">
Visit Example.com
</a>
3. Input Field With Placeholder + Required
<input type="email" placeholder="Enter email" required>
4. Button With ID + Class
<button id="mainBtn" class="blue-btn">Click Me</button>
Best Practices for Using HTML Attributes
- Use meaningful
idandclassnames - Keep inline CSS (
style) minimal - Always use
altattributes for images - Avoid unnecessary attributes
- Use lowercase for attribute names
- Prefer CSS classes instead of inline styling
Conclusion
HTML attributes are essential for controlling how HTML elements behave and look. Once you master them, you can customize any element, create forms, add images, control links, and build more professional webpages. Keep experimenting to get comfortable with all types of attributes!

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