Home / HTML

Setting up a Basic HTML Document

If you're new to web development or looking to learn HTML, one of the first things you'll need to understand is how to set up a basic HTML document. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the standard markup language used to create web pages, and it defines the structure and content of a page.

HTML Document Structure

An HTML document consists of several key elements that work together to create a webpage. These elements include the doctype, html tag, head, and body.

Doctype

The very first line of an HTML document should include the doctype declaration. This declaration tells the browser which version of HTML the document is written in. For HTML5, the doctype declaration should be:

<!DOCTYPE html>

HTML Tag

Following the doctype declaration, you'll need to include the opening and closing <html></html> tags. All the content of the HTML document goes between these tags. The <html> tag also includes the lang attribute to specify the language of the document, such as "en" for English or "es" for Spanish.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
</html>

Head

The <head></head> section of an HTML document contains meta-information about the page, such as the title, character encoding, and any linked CSS or JavaScript files. The content within the head section is not displayed on the webpage itself.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
</html>

Body

The actual content of the webpage is placed within the <body></body> tags. This includes text, images, links, headings, paragraphs, and other elements visible on the webpage.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to My Webpage</h1>
    <p>This is my first HTML page.</p>
</body>
</html>

HTML Document Example

Here is an example of a basic HTML document structure:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to My Webpage</h1>
    <p>This is my first HTML page.</p>
</body>
</html>

You can see how the various elements fit together to create a basic HTML document. The doctype declaration, <html> tag, <head> and <body> sections all play important roles in structuring the page and providing necessary information to the browser.

Remember, this is just the beginning of HTML. As you progress in your studies, you'll learn about additional HTML tags, attributes, and more advanced concepts to enhance the functionality and appearance of your webpages. Happy coding!