HTML is essential for web developers and business owners managing their own websites or content management systems (CMS). If you pair it with CSS and JavaScript, you’ll build a strong base for creating or redesigning web pages.

Before jumping into coding, sketch out your layout on paper. Grab a pencil and start blocking out elements. This planning stage lets you explore different designs without the hassle of constant coding. Once your layout is clear, you can dive into coding with HTML tags, which format text, images, and links. Need an image on the left? Want a word in bold? HTML tags make that happen.

Here are five straightforward rules to remember when using HTML tags:

1. Always use angle brackets around your tags, like this: .
2. Most tags come in pairs that frame the content they modify. The first tag activates the function, while the second deactivates it. Some tags, like
, do not have a closing tag; once you insert a line break, it stays there.
3. The closing tag features a forward slash, like this: .
4. Remember, the first tag you open should be the last one you close. If you nest tags, close the inner ones first. For example, the correct order looks like this: .
5. You can use optional attributes to modify how tags behave. For instance, the

   tag’s ALIGN attribute will center text when you write

   .

Stay aware that HTML is constantly evolving. Older browsers might not support new tags, causing the browser to ignore anything it doesn’t recognize. If you code something incorrectly, it may just disappear without an error message.

Always test your pages in various browsers—Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari—across different devices and platforms to ensure everything appears as intended. Each browser handles HTML slightly differently.

Familiarize yourself with essential HTML tags:

• Begin with the declaration to specify that you’re using HTML5. Close it with .
• Use


  to

  for headings, where

  is the largest and

  is the smallest. Remember to close with the corresponding tag (e.g.,

  ).

• The tag contains the main content, while

  indicates paragraph breaks.

• Use
for line breaks without a closing tag.
• For italic text, use , and for bold text, use .
• Create hyperlinks with link text, replacing “url” with your link.
• Display images using , where “src” links to your image and “alt” provides a fallback description.
• The


  tag is for quoting text, giving it a distinct format.