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HTML Tags

HTML <html> Tag

The <html> tag represents the root element of an HTML document.
All other HTML elements - such as <head>, <body>, <div>, <p>, etc. - must be nested inside the <html> element.

It defines the start and end of an HTML document and can include a lang attribute to specify the language of the content.

Syntax

html

<html lang="en">
  <!-- All other HTML content goes here -->
</html>
  • lang="en" sets the language to English (recommended for accessibility and SEO).
  • Must enclose both <head> and <body> tags.

Example

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <title>HTML Root Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Welcome to My Website</h1>
  <p>This content is inside the <html> root element.</p>
</body>
</html>

Output

Browser Output:

html

Displays “Welcome to My Website” as a heading and the paragraph below it.

Browser Support

Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Safari
Opera
IE9+
YesYesYesYesYesYes

All content on the page is contained within the <html> element, though this container is not visibly shown in the browser.

Notes

  • Always use <html> as the first element after <!DOCTYPE>.
  • Including the lang attribute improves accessibility for screen readers and helps search engines understand your content.
  • Closing tag </html> is mandatory in HTML5.
  • Other global attributes (like dir="ltr" for text direction) can also be added.

Conclusion

The <html> tag is the foundation of every HTML document, acting as a container for all content.
Using it properly ensures your page is structured correctly, accessible, and compatible with browsers and search engines.
Always pair it with <!DOCTYPE html> at the very top of your document for full HTML5 compliance.

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