What Does HTML Stand For?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn the ins and outs of HTML, including what it is, what you can use it for, and which careers often use this exciting markup language.

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Hypertext markup language (HTML) is the foundational language used to create web pages. HTML is essentially the framework of web pages, created in the early 1980s by Tim Berners-Lee. HTML is still widely used today, with the most recent version—HTML 5.0—released in 2014. 

Explore HTML uses, how it works in different contexts, and what exciting careers use this language.

What does HTML stand for?

HTML stands for hypertext markup language. You can think of HTML similarly to how you would think of the bricks of a building. Essentially, it provides the foundation of the building, defines the structure, and dictates how a web page should look and function. 

HTML is a “markup language,” which means it annotates different types of content that will appear on the web page. It does this by utilizing different elements known as “tags.” These tags define each section of the page and give instructions on how to present the content. This could be simple text, images, links, or more complex features like forms and videos.

HTML benefits

Being universally accepted by every web browser, HTML stands as a cornerstone of web development. Here are some advantages of using HTML:

  • It is beginner-friendly, requiring nothing more than a basic text editor to start coding.

  • You can use HTML alongside other languages, such as cascading style sheets (CSS) and JavaScript.

  • These languages add layers of design and interactivity to HTML's functional framework.

What are some key HTML tags?

One benefit of HTML is that it includes tags that you can use for a wide range of functions. Some common HTML standards you might encounter include the following:

  • <html> </html>: This creates an HTML document.

  • <title> </title>: This tag puts the title text in the title bar.

  • <h1> to <h6>: These tags represent header sizes from largest to smallest.

  • <p>: This tag represents the start of a new paragraph.

  • <a> </a>: This is the anchor tag and is used to create links.

  • <img>: This tag incorporates images into the page.

  • <div> </div>: This is a container tag that groups elements and applies styles to them.

  • <hr>: This tag inserts a horizontal rule.

  • <ul> and <li>: These create unordered (bulleted) lists.

  • <b> </b>: This tag represents bolded text.

  • <tt> </tt>: This tag creates typewriter style text.

Where is HTML used?

The primary application of HTML is in web development, forming the structure of all websites. HTML benefits people across industries who want to manage and design personal or professional websites. While front-end developers and other web developers may seek more extensive skills along with HTML, anyone who wants to build their own website can benefit from knowing HTML.

How it works with websites: Main structure

HTML dictates the structure of a webpage through its system of tags. These tags guide the web browser, telling it what kind of content should be on the page and how to display it. A standard HTML document starts with the <html> tag, followed by a <head> section for meta-information (which may include the title tag), and a <body> section for the main content.

How it works with websites: Main tags

Every piece of content within an HTML document is wrapped in a specific tag. For example, the title of the webpage goes inside a <title> tag in the <head> section, text paragraphs are enclosed within <p> tags, and images are inserted using the <img> tag.

How it works with websites: Other coding

HTML often collaborates with other coding languages to create a functioning website. CSS, for example, can style and lay out the HTML content. Meanwhile, JavaScript adds interactivity to the website, enabling user-driven events like clicks or keypresses.

HTML and CSS

While HTML lays the foundation of a website, CSS adds aesthetics, dictating the style and appearance of HTML elements on the page. CSS determines elemental pieces like color, fonts, background, layouts, spacing, and so on. Together, HTML and CSS bring more advanced elements into web design by transforming raw text into visually appealing and well-structured web pages.

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Jobs using HTML

HTML can be used in many industries, even those outside of web design. For example, if you owned a small clothing shop, knowing HTML would allow you to advertise your inventory online and avoid the pricey costs associated with a professional web design service. However, many careers use more advanced knowledge of HTML and focus their services on web design and development. 

1. Web designer

Web designers use HTML to structure and build websites. In this role, you would decide where elements like text, images, and interactive features should appear on the page. While a designer typically focuses more on the visual aspect, a solid understanding of HTML can help implement design concepts.

Read more: What Does a Web Designer Do (And How Do I Become One)?

2. Web developer

Web developers heavily rely on HTML, especially those focusing on the front end (the client side that users interact with). Alongside CSS and JavaScript, HTML forms the trinity of front-end web development. Developers use these languages in concert to build, maintain, and enhance websites, ensuring they are user-friendly, visually pleasing, and functionally sound.

Read more: What Does a Web Developer Do (and How Do I Become One)?

3. SEO specialist

Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists aim to increase a website’s visibility on search engine result pages. To achieve this, they often work with HTML to optimize web page elements, insert keywords, and monitor metrics. This optimization helps search engines register the website content, potentially leading to higher rankings.

Getting started in HTML with Coursera

You can begin or continue building your HTML skills through courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates offered by top universities on Coursera. To begin, check out the following offerings:

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