Overview

Semantic HTML uses tags that clearly describe their meaning in a human- and machine-readable way. For example, using <header> instead of <div class="header"> tells the browser and search engines exactly what that section represents.

Key Semantic Elements

  • Structure: <header>, <footer>, <main>, <nav>, <section>, <article>, <aside>.
  • Text: <h1>-<h6>, <p>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <strong>, <em>.
  • Forms: <label>, <fieldset>, <legend>.

Benefits

  • Accessibility: Screen readers use semantic tags to navigate the page.
  • SEO: Search engines prioritize content within semantic tags.
  • Maintainability: Code is easier to read and understand for developers.

Related Terms