HTML Tags Complete Reference
Every HTML element grouped by category — document structure, text, lists, tables, forms, media, and semantic landmarks. A quick-scan reference for developers.
Document Structure
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<html> | Root element of the HTML document |
<head> | Container for metadata (not displayed) |
<body> | All visible page content goes here |
<title> | Browser tab / window title |
<meta> | Metadata: charset, viewport, description |
<link> | Link external resources (CSS, favicon) |
<script> | Embed or link JavaScript |
<style> | Inline CSS styles |
<base> | Base URL for relative links |
Text Content
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<h1> – <h6> | Headings — h1 most important, h6 least |
<p> | Paragraph of text |
<span> | Inline container for styling or scripting |
<strong> | Bold text with semantic importance |
<em> | Italic text with semantic emphasis |
<b> | Bold text (stylistic only) |
<i> | Italic text (stylistic only) |
<u> | Underlined text |
<s> | Strikethrough (no longer accurate) |
<br> | Line break (void element) |
<hr> | Thematic break / horizontal rule |
<pre> | Preformatted text (preserves whitespace) |
<code> | Inline code snippet |
<blockquote> | Extended quotation |
<q> | Inline quotation |
<abbr> | Abbreviation with title attribute |
<mark> | Highlighted / marked text |
<sub> | Subscript text |
<sup> | Superscript text |
Lists
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<ul> | Unordered list (bullets) |
<ol> | Ordered list (numbers) |
<li> | List item inside ul or ol |
<dl> | Description list (term + definition pairs) |
<dt> | Description term |
<dd> | Description details / definition |
Tables
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<table> | Table container |
<thead> | Table header section |
<tbody> | Table body section |
<tfoot> | Table footer section |
<tr> | Table row |
<th> | Table header cell (bold, centered by default) |
<td> | Table data cell |
<caption> | Table caption / title |
<colgroup> | Group of columns for styling |
<col> | Individual column styling target |
Forms & Inputs
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<form> | Form container with action and method |
<input> | Input field — type attribute changes behavior |
<button> | Clickable button |
<select> | Dropdown list |
<option> | Option inside a select |
<optgroup> | Group of options inside select |
<textarea> | Multi-line text input |
<label> | Label for a form control |
<fieldset> | Group of related form fields |
<legend> | Caption for a fieldset |
<datalist> | Pre-defined options for an input |
<output> | Result of a calculation |
Media & Embedding
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<img> | Embed an image (void element) |
<video> | Embed video with controls |
<audio> | Embed audio with controls |
<source> | Alternative media source for video/audio |
<track> | Subtitles / captions for video |
<picture> | Responsive image container |
<iframe> | Embed another HTML page |
<canvas> | 2D/3D drawing surface (via JavaScript) |
<svg> | Inline scalable vector graphics |
<figure> | Self-contained content with optional caption |
<figcaption> | Caption for a figure element |
Semantic / Layout
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<header> | Introductory content or nav for a section |
<nav> | Navigation links block |
<main> | Primary content of the page (unique per page) |
<section> | Thematic grouping of content |
<article> | Self-contained, independently shareable content |
<aside> | Tangentially related content (sidebar) |
<footer> | Footer for a section or page |
<div> | Generic block container (no semantic meaning) |
<address> | Contact information for author/owner |
<details> | Expandable disclosure widget |
<summary> | Visible heading for a details element |
<dialog> | Native modal or dialog box |
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