Build a valid HTML5 page from a blank file

I don't know what half these meta tags in the boilerplate actually do, so I just copy-paste one and hope it works.

BeginnerRead 5 minDoing: under an hour6 steps

▶ Start

What you'll have at the end

A hand-typed HTML5 page with a doctype, charset, viewport, and title that passes the validator with zero errors.

Before you start

You need

A blank text file saved with an html extension, open in a code editor, and any browser to preview it in.

Not covered

Choosing semantic landmark elements such as header, nav, and main for a real page's content; this recipe's body is only enough markup to prove the boilerplate itself is valid.

Leans on

Build the head boilerplate

Start the file with the doctype and lang
Declare the character encoding first, inside head
Add the viewport tag for real phone width
Give the page a real, specific title

Write and verify the body

Write real body content, closing every tag
Run the whole file through a validator

Where to go next

This page renders fine; validation still fails

You already have a page and want to know whether ITS markup is broken, not build a fresh one.

Why does my page show up as a bare link when shared?

Your page validates and you're ready to add the social-preview tags a shared link needs.

Checked 20 Aug 2026

Part of the HTML cookbook