HTML Tags Tutorial – A Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide
HTML tags are the basic building blocks of every webpage. Whether you want to create a simple webpage or a full website, understanding HTML tags is the first and most important step. In this post, we’ll explore what HTML tags are, how they work, why they matter, and the most commonly used tags with examples.
Table of Contents
- What Are HTML Tags?
- How HTML Tags Work
- Types of HTML Tags
- Most Common HTML Tags
- Self-Closing Tags
- Nesting Tags
- Practical Examples
- Best Practices
What Are HTML Tags?
HTML tags are keywords enclosed in angle brackets < > that tell the browser how to display content. Tags create elements such as headings, paragraphs, images, links, lists, buttons, forms, and much more.
Example of a simple tag:
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
How HTML Tags Work
Most HTML tags come in pairs:
<opening-tag>Content</closing-tag>
The opening tag starts the element, and the closing tag ends it.
Example:
<h1>Hello World</h1>
Types of HTML Tags
HTML tags fall into two main categories:
1. Paired Tags
Contain both opening and closing tags.
<div>Content</div>
2. Self-Closing Tags
Do not have a closing tag.
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Image">
Most Common HTML Tags
1. Heading Tags
Used for titles and headings.
<h1>Heading Level 1</h1>
<h2>Heading Level 2</h2>
<h3>Heading Level 3</h3>
2. Paragraph Tag
<p>This is a paragraph of text.</p>
3. Link Tag
<a href="https://example.com">Click Here</a>
4. Image Tag
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="Beautiful image">
5. List Tags
Unordered List:
<ul>
<li>Item 1</li>
<li>Item 2</li>
</ul>
Ordered List:
<ol>
<li>First</li>
<li>Second</li>
</ol>
6. Button Tag
<button>Click Me</button>
7. Div Tag
<div>This is a container.</div>
8. Span Tag
<span>Inline text</span>
Self-Closing HTML Tags
These tags do not wrap content:
<img><br>(line break)<hr>(horizontal line)<input>(form input field)<meta>
Nesting Tags
Tags can be placed inside other tags. This helps structure your webpage correctly.
<div>
<h2>My Title</h2>
<p>My paragraph inside a div.</p>
</div>
Important Rule: The inner tag must close before the outer tag closes.
Practical Examples
1. Simple Webpage Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome!</h1>
<p>This is my first webpage.</p>
</body>
</html>
2. Using Multiple Tags Together
<h2>My Favorite Fruits</h2>
<ul>
<li>Mango</li>
<li>Apple</li>
<li>Banana</li>
</ul>
Best Practices for Using HTML Tags
- Use semantic tags like
<header>,<main>,<section>,<footer>. - Always close your tags properly (except self-closing tags).
- Use indentation to keep code readable.
- Write lowercase tags (recommended by W3C).
- Include
alttext for images. - Avoid unnecessary
<div>and<span>tags.
Conclusion
HTML tags are the foundation of every webpage. Once you understand how tags work, you can start building real web pages with structure, formatting, images, videos, links, and more. Keep practicing and experimenting to master them!

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