Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language used to structure content on web pages.

Format
Web & Development
Updated
Updated
Glossary Web & Development
Hypertext Markup Language Also known as HTML.Aliases: web page markup.

Definition

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language used to structure content on web pages.

How it works

HTML elements mark out what each part of a page is — headings, paragraphs, links, images, forms — and browsers turn that structure into what you see. It works hand in hand with CSS, which handles appearance, and JavaScript, which adds behavior. Every page on the web, however elaborate, arrives as HTML at heart.

Example: An h1 element marks the main heading, while an a element creates a hyperlink.

Often confused: HTML gives a page structure; CSS styles it and JavaScript makes it interactive.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.