HTML works by telling the web browser how to display content on a webpage. When a user opens a website, the browser requests an HTML file from the server.
The browser reads the HTML file line by line and converts it into a visual webpage that users can see and interact with.
Step-by-Step Flow of How HTML Works
1. User enters a website URL in the browser
2. Browser sends a request to the web server
3. Server sends the HTML file back to the browser
4. Browser reads the HTML code
5. Browser displays the content on the screen
HTML runs completely in the browser. Unlike backend languages, HTML does not perform calculations or logic.
HTML only defines structure. Styling is handled by CSS, and interactive behavior is handled by JavaScript. Together, these three technologies form the core of frontend web development.
When the browser receives this file, it does not show the code. Instead, it reads the tags and displays the heading and paragraph as visible content.
The browser ignores the tags themselves and only shows the text inside them in a formatted way.
Important Things to Understand
- Browsers do not show HTML code directly
- Browsers convert HTML into a visual layout
- HTML files are read from top to bottom
- Errors in HTML can affect page display
Why Developers Must Understand How HTML Works
Understanding how HTML works helps developers write clean code, debug layout issues, and build faster websites.
This knowledge is essential before learning CSS and JavaScript because all styling and interaction depend on the HTML structure.
What You Will Learn Next
In the next lesson, you will learn the basic structure of an HTML file and understand each part in detail.