Basic Tag Set in HTML

For an HTML file to be considered a valid HTML document, it must contain the following tags (displayed in boldface):

<HTML>
     <HEAD>
          <TITLE>  document title  </TITLE>
     </HEAD>
     <BODY>
          document contents
     </BODY>
</HTML>

This series of tags is known as the basic tag set and is used as a starting point for all HTML documents.

What happens if I leave out the <HEAD> or <BODY> sections of my document?

Most current Web browsers will display your document correctly. However, if your goal is to reach the largest possible target audience, you must ensure that your HTML files are platform and browser independent. Missing basic tag set elements can cause problems with older browsers. Also, HTML validation checkers will flag documents with an incomplete basic tag set as having errors.

What happens if I leave out the <TITLE> section of my document?

If your document has no <TITLE> tag, the phrase Untitled will appear in the blue title bar of the Web browser window. Also, most search engines use document titles:

as the hypertext link that is displayed for items returned as the result of a search.
as text that is examined for keywords during a search.

If your document has no <TITLE> tag, it may limit the number of hits your Web site receives from people using search engines. Also, HTML validation checkers will flag documents with an incomplete basic tag set as having errors.

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Last updated January 31, 2000