Browsers only understand three languages

Every website — landing page, blog, checkout — is built from just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Today we focus on HTML only.

HTML is the skeleton — not the skin

A page without CSS still works — you can read it. HTML answers: what goes where, not how pretty it looks.

Every page has the same outer shell

Before headings and copy, HTML wraps everything in three layers — like a Google Doc has a document title (hidden setup) and a body you actually read.

Google Docs formats map to HTML tags

You don’t need to memorize 100 tags. Start with the formats you already use when writing in Google Docs.

A landing page skeleton — labeled zones

Real pages are just blocks inside blocks. Here’s a typical simple page — only six tags, no design fluff.

Tags are labels — open, content, close

Every HTML element follows the same pattern. Once you see it, reading code feels like reading an outline.

Paste this skeleton into VS Code

Create a folder on your computer, open it in VS Code, add a new file called index.html, paste the block below → save → open in your browser.

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <title>Summer Sale</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Summer Sale</h1>
    <p>Save 30% this weekend.</p>
    <a href="https://example.com/shop">Shop now</a>
    <h2>Why shop with us</h2>
    <ul>
      <li>Free shipping</li>
      <li>Ends Sunday</li>
    </ul>
  </body>
</html>

Google Docs → HTML (save this)

What you can skip for now

HTML = the architecture of the page