Introduction to HTML — Interview Questions & Answers
1. What is HTML
Ques: What does HTML stand for?
Ans: HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, the standard language used to create and structure web pages.
Ques: Is HTML a programming language?
Ans: No, HTML is a markup language. It structures content but doesn’t perform logic or computation.
Ques: What is the main purpose of HTML?
Ans: It defines the structure and content of a web page using elements like headings, paragraphs, links, and images.
2. Founder of HTML & When It Was Invented
Ques: Who invented HTML and when?
Ans: Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, in 1991.
Ques: Why was HTML created?
Ans: To enable scientists to share and link research documents easily over the internet.
3. Why We Need HTML & Its Importance
Ques: Why is HTML essential in web development?
Ans: HTML provides the foundation of all web pages — browsers rely on it to understand and display structured content.
Ques: How does HTML work with CSS and JavaScript?
Ans: HTML structures content, CSS styles it, and JavaScript adds interactivity.
4. History & Evolution of HTML
Ques: How has HTML evolved over time?
Ans:
- HTML 1.0 (1991): Basic text and links
- HTML 2.0 (1995): Forms and tables
- HTML 3.2 (1997): Multimedia support
- HTML 4.01 (1999): CSS integration
- XHTML (2000): XML-based structure
- HTML5 (2014): Multimedia, APIs, semantic elements
5. Versions of HTML
Ques: What are the main versions of HTML?
Ans: HTML 1.0, 2.0, 3.2, 4.01, XHTML, and HTML5.
Ques: Which is the latest version of HTML?
Ans: HTML5, standardized by W3C in 2014 and maintained as a living standard by WHATWG.
6. Difference Between HTML & HTML5
| Feature | HTML | HTML5 |
|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | Needs plugins (Flash) | Supports <audio> & <video> |
| Semantic Tags | Limited | <header>, <footer>, <article>, etc. |
| APIs | None | Geolocation, Web Storage, Canvas |
| Doctype | Long and complex | Simplified <!DOCTYPE html> |
| Browser Support | Older browsers | Modern browsers |
Ques: Why is HTML5 preferred today?
Ans: It’s faster, supports multimedia, improves SEO, and ensures better cross-device compatibility.
7. Doctype and Document Setup
Ques: What is the purpose of <!DOCTYPE html>?
Ans: It tells the browser to render the page in standards mode using HTML5.
Ques: Where is the <!DOCTYPE html> placed?
Ans: At the top of the HTML document, before the <html> tag.
8. Basic Structure of an HTML Page
Ques: What is the basic structure of an HTML page?
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>My First Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello World!</h1>
</body>
</html>
Ques: What are the main sections of an HTML document?
Ans: <head> (metadata) and <body> (visible content).
9. Head Section Overview
Ques16: What is the <head> section used for?
Ans: It contains metadata, the title, and links to external files (CSS, JS) — not displayed on the page.
10. Common Head Elements
<title> – Page Title
Defines the page title shown in browser tabs and search results.
<meta> – Metadata
Used for charset, SEO description, and responsive design.
Example:
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="description" content="Learn HTML Basics">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<link> – External Resources
Links external CSS, favicon, or preload resources.
Example:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
<link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico">
<base> – Base URL
Defines a base path for all relative links.
Example:
<base href="<https://example.com/>">
11. Script and Noscript
<script> – JavaScript Inclusion
async loads immediately, defer waits until HTML parsing completes.
Example:
<script src="app.js" async></script>
<script src="main.js" defer></script>
<noscript> – Fallback
Displays content if JavaScript is disabled.
12. How Browsers Render HTML
Ques: How does a browser render an HTML page?
Ans:
- Parses HTML → builds DOM Tree
- Loads CSS → builds CSSOM Tree
- Combines them → Render Tree
- Paints pixels on screen
13. XHTML
Ques: What is XHTML?
Ans: A stricter, XML-based version of HTML 4.01 — required lowercase tags and proper closing.
Ques: Is XHTML still used today?
Ans: Rarely; HTML5 replaced it due to more flexibility.
14. Comments in HTML
Ques: How do you add comments in HTML?
<!-- This is a comment -->
Ques: Are comments visible to users?
Ans: No, they are ignored by browsers.