What is a void element in HTML?

A void element has no content model and no closing tag — examples are img, input, br, hr, meta and link. You cannot place children inside them, and the self-closing slash (like ) is optional in HTML syntax.

What does the content model column mean?

The content model describes what an element is allowed to contain. Flow content covers most body-level elements, phrasing content is inline text-level content, and some elements restrict children to specific tags — for example ul may only contain li, script and template.

What is an implicit ARIA role?

Most HTML elements map to a default ARIA role that assistive technology uses, such as nav becoming navigation or button becoming button. You usually should not restate the implicit role, and overriding it can harm accessibility.

Why should I prefer semantic elements over div?

Semantic elements like header, nav, main, article and footer carry meaning that browsers, search engines and screen readers understand, giving you built-in landmarks and better accessibility. A div is a generic box with no role, useful only when no semantic element fits.

Can section and article be used interchangeably?

No. An article is self-contained content that could stand alone or be syndicated, like a blog post or comment. A section is a thematic grouping within a document, usually introduced by a heading. Use article when the content makes sense on its own.

HTML Elements Reference

This is a searchable reference for the common HTML5 elements — the building blocks of every web page. It groups them by category (metadata, sectioning, grouping, text-level, embedded, tabular, forms and interactive) and, for each, shows the content model it permits, whether it is a void element, and the implicit ARIA role browsers assign it.

How it works

Every HTML element belongs to one or more content categories and defines a content model — the kinds of children it may legally contain. Flow content is the broad category for things that appear in the body; phrasing content is the inline, text-level subset. Some elements restrict their children tightly: ul and ol accept only li (plus script and template), and table expects caption, thead, tbody, tfoot and tr in a defined order. Void elements such as img, input, br, hr, meta and link have no content model and no closing tag. Browsers also map most elements to an implicit ARIA role that assistive technology exposes, so semantic markup gives you accessibility landmarks for free.

Tips and notes

Reach for semantic sectioning elements (header, nav, main, article, aside, footer) before generic divs — they create document landmarks and convey structure. Use exactly one main per document. The a element’s content model is transparent, meaning it inherits the model of its parent, which is why a link can wrap block-level content in HTML5. Do not restate an element’s implicit role with a redundant role attribute, and avoid overriding it unless you have a specific reason.

Example

<article>
  <header><h2>Post title</h2></header>
  <p>Body text with a <a href="/more">link</a>.</p>
  <footer><time datetime="2026-06-06">6 June 2026</time></footer>
</article>

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HTML Elements Reference

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How it works

Tips and notes

Example