Documentation Reference Number: #0009

Hypertext Markup Language Elements

I. HTML 5 Elements

Description

Below is a complete list of all HTML 5 elements, along with a short description.

Name Description
<!--...--> A comment
<!DOCTYPE> The document type declaration
<a> The anchor element is used to create links to other webpages.
<abbr> The abbreviation element is used to contain abbreviations.
<address> Used to contain contact information such as a mailing address for a person or organization.
<area> Defines a specific section of a <map> element
<article> Used to contain a self-contained piece of content; examples include but are not limited to blog posts, forum posts, news articles, product cards, etc.
<aside> Used to hold information which is indirectly related to the main content of the document.
<audio> Used to embed an audio player into a webpage which may be used to play sound files.
<b> Used to draw the readers attention to a word or phrase, use this element when no other element is suitable.
<base> Contains the base URL to use for all relative URLs in an HTML document. There may be at most one base element in an HTML document.
<bdi> The bi directional isolation element is used when the direction of the text is not known and the text should be treated in isolation from the surrounding elements.
<bdo> The bi directional override element is used to change the direction in which the given text is rendered.
<blockquote> Used to contain a quote which is related to the containing document but is indented and typographically and stylistically distinct from the surrounding.
<body> Contains the visible content of an HTML page. There may be only one <body> element in an HTML document.
<br> The break element denotes the end of the current line of text and will render subsequent text on a new line.
<button> The button element is an interactive element meant to be activated by the user's mouse, keyboard, touchpad, or other user input device.
<canvas> The canvas element is used together with the canvas scripting API, or the WebGL API to create graphics and animations on an HTML page.
<caption> The caption element is used to hold a description or title of a table element.
<cite> The cite element is used to hold a reference or citation.
<code> The code element is used to hold source code of computer software.
<col> The column element is used to define information about one or more columns in a <table> element.
<colgroup> The column group element functions as a parent element or container for column (<col>) elements.
<data> The data element is used to link together human readable and computer readable information.
<datalist> The datalist element functions as a parent element or container for option (<option>) elements.
<dd> Provides the definition, description, or value for the preceeding description term element (<dt>) in a description list element (<dl>)
<del> The delete element is used to contain text which has been removed from a document.
<details> The details element is used to conceal text which the user may optionally view by clicking on the details element.
<dfn> The definition element is used to contain a word or phrase which is being defined.
<dialog> The dialog element is used when you want a visual popup box which contains a form or information for the user to interact with.
<div> Division: Used to define a part of a document
<dl> The description list element functions as a parent element or container for description term elements (<dt>) and description details elements (<dd>).
<dt>
<em>
<embed>
<fieldset>
<figcaption> The figure caption element is used to contain a caption for a <figure> element.
<figure> A figure element typically contains an image, graph, example, or something which is related to the surrounding content.
<footer> Acts as a footer for a sectioning element.
<form>
<h1> Level 1 section header, which is the highest level section header.
<h2> Level 2 section header
<h3> Level 3 section header
<h4> Level 4 section header
<h5> Level 5 section header
<h6> Level 6 section header, which is the lowest level section header.
<head> This element is used to contain metadata about an html document. The head element typically contains child elements which define the title of the HTML page, links to CSS stylesheets, and links to JavaScript files.
<header> Acts as the header for a sectioning element.
<hgroup> Used as a container for a section heading element and other related elements.
<hr>
<html> The top level element in an HTML document. This element must be present in every HTML document. All elements must be children of this element.
<i>
<iframe>
<img>
<input>
<ins>
<kbd>
<label>
<legend>
<li>
<link> Defines a relationship between an HTML document and an external resource. Commonly used to link an HTML document to a CSS document.
<main> Used to hold the primary or dominant section of content on an HTML page.
<map>
<mark>
<math>
<menu>
<meta> Used to define metadata for which no other HTML element is suitable.
<meter>
<nav> Primarily used to hold blocks navigation links. 'nav' is an abbreviation of the word 'navigation'.
<noscript>
<object>
<ol> Ordered list element is used to create numbered lists.
<optgroup>
<option>
<output>
<p>
<picture>
<pre>
<progress> The progress element is used with javascript to create a progress bar.
<q>
<rp>
<rt>
<ruby>
<s>
<samp> The 'sample' element is used to contain sample output from a computer program. The text in a 'sample' element is typically rendered as monospace.
<script>
<search> Generally used to hold an HTML form that users may use to search a website.
<section> A generic standalone piece of content. Sections should always have their own heading element.
<select>
<slot>
<small> The small element is used to contain content which is less important to most readers.
<source> The 'source' element is used to specify a media resouorce (url) for a 'picture', 'audio', or 'video' element.
<span>
<strong> The 'strong' element contains text which is serious, important, or urgent. The text contained in a 'strong' element is typically rendered as bold.
<style> Contains raw CSS for the current HTML document.
<sub> The 'subscript' element is used to typographically modify the presentation of text into that of a subscript.
<summary> The 'summary' element holds text which when clicked will display text contained in the associated 'details' element.
<sup> The 'superscript' element is used to typographically modify the presentation of text into that of a superscript.
<svg>
<table> The 'table' element is used when you want to create a table on a HTML page.
<tbody> The 'table body' element defines the area which contains the main data of a table, (as opposed to the table header or table footer).
<td> The 'table data' element is used to define individual cells within a table.
<template>
<textarea> The 'text area' element is used when you want to allow users to insert multiple lines of text in a form. This is basically a 'message body' element.
<tfoot> The table footer element is used to hold information such as summaries, captions, etc for a table.
<th> The table header element is used for table cells which are column labels or table title.
<thead> The table head element holds rows which are 'header' rows for a given table. Header rows table header cells which are column labels or table labels.
<time> Contains a specific time, or date, or both.
<title> Defines the title of the HTML document
<tr> Defines a single row inside of a table. Contains either td or th elements.
<track> Track elements are always children of 'audio', and 'video' elements. Track elements are used to define subtitles for video or audio content.
<u> The 'Unarticulated Annotation' element is Used to highlight when a user has misspelled a word, or a similar non-textual annotation.
<ul> Defines an 'unordered list' of elements. Frequently used to create a bullet point list.
<var> The 'var' element is used to contain the name of a variable in a mathematical expression.
<video> Used to embed a video into an html webpage.
<wbr> The 'word breaking return' element is used to indicate where a line breaking space may optionally be inserted into a word.

II. Other Information

HTML Standards Body

The HTML standard is set by the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group; also referred to as WHATWG.

WHATWG is a somewhat informal group dedicated to creating a living standard which others can rely upon to create software that works with HTML.

III. Ancillary Information

External Links

Name Link
WHATWG Group Website https://whatwg.org
WHATWG Specification for HTML https://html.spec.whatwg.org/#elements-3

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