What is Semantic HTML?
The short answer
Semantic HTML uses elements for their meaning, such as header, nav, main, article, button and h1 to h6, instead of generic divs, so machines understand the page.
Semantic HTML, explained
Screen readers announce semantic elements correctly, search engines weigh headings, and browsers give buttons and links keyboard behaviour for free.
A div styled like a button is not a button: it cannot be tabbed to or activated with a key unless extra code recreates what the real element already does.
Questions people ask about Semantic HTML
What is Semantic HTML?
Semantic HTML uses elements for their meaning, such as header, nav, main, article, button and h1 to h6, instead of generic divs, so machines understand the page.
Related terms
HTML is the language that gives a web page its structure: headings, paragraphs, links, images, forms and every other element on the page.
Web accessibilityWeb accessibility means building sites everyone can use, including people who are blind, deaf, have limited movement or cognitive differences, whatever device or assistive technology they use.
ARIAARIA is a set of HTML attributes that describe roles, states and labels to assistive technology when native HTML elements cannot express them.
DOMThe DOM is the browser's live, tree-shaped model of a web page; JavaScript reads and changes the DOM to update what visitors see.
Part of the Web Encyclopedia by Apex Flow Digital. Definitions are general knowledge, kept current, with no invented statistics.