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An .html file is a plaintext document containing HTML markup that a web browser can render as a webpage. The extension is part of the filename; HTML itself is the language that describes the page’s structure and meaning. The related .htm extension is also commonly used.
What is an HTML file?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It organizes webpage content into elements that describe what that content is—for example, a heading, paragraph, link, or image. MDN describes an HTML document as a plaintext document structured with elements. See MDN’s HTML glossary and its HTML guide.
Elements are represented with tags. Many elements have an opening tag and a closing tag, while some, such as <img>, are void elements and do not have a closing tag. Attributes can add information to an element, such as the destination of a link or the source of an image.
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The suffix .html is a filename convention that signals the file contains an HTML document. .htm is another common extension for the same kind of document. The suffix is not the HTML markup, and changing a filename’s extension does not by itself convert the file’s contents into HTML. The WHATWG HTML Standard describes filename extensions as conventions platforms use to identify file types and influence how files are opened.
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How are the extension, <html> tag, and doctype different?
They operate at different levels: the extension is in the filename, the doctype is a declaration at the start of the document, and the <html> element is the root element that contains the document’s HTML content. Using a file named page.html and including <!doctype html> does not replace the root element; each serves a separate purpose.
The root element can also carry a valid lang attribute, such as <html lang="en">. This helps screen-reading technology determine the page’s language and pronounce it appropriately. MDN explains the HTML root element.
How does an HTML file become a webpage?
A browser can open an HTML document and render its elements as a page. CSS is commonly used alongside HTML to control presentation, while JavaScript can add behavior. These technologies complement HTML; they are not what the .html extension means.
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