What is HTML & How Webpages Work? (Intro for Beginners in Web Development)

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If you’re starting your journey in web development, the very first thing you will come across is HTML. Before learning programming languages like JavaScript or frameworks like React, it’s important to understand the foundation of the web. Today, let’s begin with the basics — What is HTML, and how do webpages actually work?


What is HTML?

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to create webpages.
It doesn’t behave like a programming language — instead, it structures the content of a page. Think of HTML as the skeleton of a website.

With HTML, you define:

  • Headings & paragraphs

  • Images & videos

  • Buttons & links

  • Forms & user input fields

  • Page layout structure

In simple terms:
HTML tells the browser WHAT to show.


How HTML Builds a Webpage (The Structure)

When you open a website, your browser loads an HTML document.
Here’s a basic example of what HTML looks like:

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>My First Webpage</title> </head> <body> <h1>Hello, World!</h1> <p>This is my first webpage using HTML.</p> </body> </html>
  • <html> → The root of the page

  • <head> → Page information (title, SEO data, etc.)

  • <body> → Visible content shown to visitors


How Webpages Work in a Browser

Whenever you search a website:

  1. You type a URL (example: www.example.com)

  2. The browser sends a request to a server

  3. The server sends back an HTML file

  4. The browser reads the HTML and displays it as a webpage

The 3 Core Technologies

TechnologyRole
HTMLStructure (content & layout)
CSSStyling (colors, design, fonts)
JavaScriptLogic (interactivity & dynamic features)

Together, they bring websites to life.

  • HTML = What you see
  • CSS = How it looks
  • JavaScript = How it behaves


What Makes HTML “HyperText”?

The “HyperText” in HTML refers to linking web pages together using anchor tags:

<a href="https://example.com">Visit Another Page</a>

This is what turns the web into a connected network of pages.


Why HTML Matters for Developers

Whether you want to build:

  • Blogs

  • Portfolio websites

  • E-commerce stores

  • Web apps

  • Startup landing pages

HTML is the first block you stack. It’s easy to learn, and the skills stay useful forever.


Conclusion

HTML is the foundation of every website. It defines the structure, organizes content, and communicates with the browser. Understanding how it works will prepare you for everything else in web development — CSS, JavaScript, frameworks, backend, and full-stack engineering.

This is your first step into development — and from now on, you’re officially a web creator. 

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