HTML tags are the building blocks of every webpage.
They define the structure, meaning, and presentation of web content - from headings and paragraphs to images, videos, forms, and layout elements.
Below is the complete and categorized list of HTML5 tags, including commonly used, semantic, and media-related elements.
Document Structure Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| Defines the document type (HTML5 declaration). |
| <html> | Root element of an HTML page. |
| <head> | Contains metadata and document information. |
| <title> | Specifies the page title (shown in browser tab). |
| <body> | Contains all visible page content. |
Metadata Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <base> | Specifies the base URL for all relative links. |
| <link> | Defines external resources (like CSS). |
| <meta> | Provides metadata like charset, description, or keywords. |
| <style> | Embeds CSS styles in the document. |
| <script> | Embeds or links external JavaScript files. |
Text Content Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <h1> to <h6> | Define headings, from largest to smallest. |
| <p> | Defines a paragraph. |
| Inserts a line break. |
| <hr> | Inserts a horizontal line (thematic break). |
| <pre> | Defines preformatted text. |
| Bold text (stylistic). |
| Important (bold) text (semantic). |
| Italic text (stylistic). |
| Emphasized (italic) text (semantic). |
| Highlights text. |
| Displays smaller text. |
| Shows deleted text. |
| <ins> | Shows inserted text. |
| Subscript text. |
| Superscript text. |
| Underlined text. |
Quotation & Citation Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <blockquote> | Defines a section quoted from another source. |
| <q> | Short inline quotation. |
| Reference to a creative work (e.g., book title). |
| Defines an abbreviation or acronym. |
| <address> | Defines contact information. |
| <bdo> | Overrides text direction. |
| <bdi> | Isolates text for bidirectional formatting. |
Link & Navigation Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| Defines a hyperlink. |
| <nav> | Defines navigation links section. |
List Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <ul> | Unordered (bulleted) list. |
| <ol> | Ordered (numbered) list. |
| <li> | List item. |
| <dl> | Description list. |
| <dt> | Term/name in a description list. |
| <dd> | Description of a term. |
Image & Media Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <img> | Embeds an image. |
| <figure> | Groups media content with a caption. |
| <figcaption> | Caption for a figure. |
| <audio> | Embeds audio content. |
| <video> | Embeds video content. |
| <source> | Specifies multiple media sources. |
| <track> | Defines text tracks for media (subtitles). |
| <embed> | Embeds external content. |
| <object> | Embeds an external object. |
| <param> | Defines parameters for an <object>. |
| <picture> | Defines multiple image sources for responsive images. |
| <canvas> | Used for drawing graphics via JavaScript. |
| <map> | Defines an image map. |
| <area> | Defines clickable areas in an image map. |
Table Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <table> | Defines a table. |
| <caption> | Table title or caption. |
| <thead> | Groups header content in a table. |
| <tbody> | Groups body content in a table. |
| <tfoot> | Groups footer content in a table. |
| <tr> | Table row. |
| <th> | Table header cell. |
| <td> | Table data cell. |
| <col> | Specifies column properties. |
| <colgroup> | Groups columns for formatting. |
Form & Input Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <form> | Defines a form for user input. |
| <input> | Input control. |
| <textarea> | Multi-line text input. |
| <button> | Clickable button. |
| <select> | Drop-down list. |
| <option> | Option in a drop-down list. |
| <optgroup> | Group of options in a list. |
| <label> | Defines label for input control. |
| <fieldset> | Groups form elements. |
| <legend> | Caption for <fieldset>. |
| <datalist> | Provides autocomplete options for input. |
| <output> | Displays calculation or result. |
| <meter> | Displays a measurement (e.g., disk usage). |
| <progress> | Displays progress of a task. |
Semantic Layout Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <header> | Defines a page or section header. |
| <footer> | Defines a footer for a document or section. |
| <article> | Represents independent, self-contained content. |
| <section> | Defines a thematic section. |
| <aside> | Defines content indirectly related to the main content. |
| <main> | Represents the main content of a document. |
| <details> | Defines collapsible content. |
| <summary> | Defines a summary for <details>. |
| <dialog> | Represents a dialog box or popup. |
| <time> | Represents time and date. |
Script & Style Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <script> | Embeds or references JavaScript. |
| <noscript> | Defines alternate content for users without JavaScript. |
| <style> | Embeds CSS code. |
Interactive & Web App Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| <slot> | Placeholder inside a web component. |
| <template> | Defines a template for client-side rendering. |
| <shadow> | Shadow DOM root (deprecated). |
Deprecated / Obsolete Tags (Avoid Using)
| Tag | Reason |
|---|
| <center> | Use CSS instead. |
| <font> | Use CSS instead. |
| <big> | Use CSS instead. |
| <strike> | Use CSS instead. |
| <tt> | Use CSS instead. |
| <acronym> | Replaced by . |
| <applet> | Replaced by <object>. |
| <frame>, <frameset>, <noframes> | Deprecated in HTML5. |
| <marquee> | Non-standard, avoid use. |
| <blink> | Deprecated, not supported. |
Browser Support
 Chrome |  Edge |  Firefox |  Safari |  Opera |  IE9+ |
|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
This tag reference provides a complete overview of all valid HTML5 elements, categorized for easy learning.
Understanding these tags will help you structure your webpages semantically, ensuring better accessibility, SEO, and maintainability.
