What is Semantic HTML?

Semantic HTML refers to using HTML elements that communicate the meaning and structure of your content, rather than just its appearance. The purpose of semantic HTML is to make your web pages more understandable for both browsers and humans, including assistive technologies like screen readers. Semantic elements, such as header, nav, main, article, section, and footer, describe their intended role in the document. This helps search engines and accessibility tools interpret your content accurately.

In contrast, non-semantic elements like div and span do not provide any information about the type of content they contain—they are generic containers used primarily for styling or grouping content.

Using semantic elements improves code readability, maintainability, and accessibility. For example:

• A nav element clearly indicates that its content is a navigation menu;
• A div does not provide this context.

This distinction is especially important for users who rely on screen readers or other assistive devices, as semantic markup enables those tools to present the page structure and meaning more effectively.