The <header> tag is a semantic HTML element that is used to define the introductory or navigational content of a webpage or a section. Typically, a header contains elements like:
- The website or page title
- Logo or branding
- Navigation menus
- Search bar
- Any introductory information relevant to the page or section
Note: Header tag cannot be placed within a <footer>, <address>, or another <header> element.
Syntax:
<header> ...</header>
HTML <header> tag Example
Example 1:
In this example, the <header> tag is used inside the <article> element to define introductory content for that article.
HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body style="font-size: 25px;"> <h1 style="color: green;">GeeksforGeeks</h1> <h3>HTML Header Tag</h3> <hr> <article> <header> <h3 style="color: green;"> GeeksforGeeks Learning </h3> <p>Posted by GFG</p> <p> A Computer Science portal for geeks. It contains well written, well thought <br> and well explained computer science and programming articles. </p> </header> </article> </body> </html>
Output:
- The <header> tag here contains:
- <h3>: 'GeeksforGeeks Learning'
- <p> (Paragraph): 'Posted by GFG'
- Another <p> (Paragraph): 'A Computer Science portal for geeks' - along with more information.
Important: The <header> is not just for the main page header (like a site title), but it can also be used for each article or section to provide the essential context — such as the article’s title, author, and a short description.
HTML Header Tag Attributes
The <header> tag itself doesn't have attributes unique to it. However, it supports most of the global attributes of HTML, such as id, class, style, role, lang, data-*, and tabindex.
Additionally, you can apply styling to control its behavior and appearance using CSS. The <header> tag also supports Event Attributes in HTML, allowing you to add interactivity, such as onclick, onmouseover, and others, to enhance user experience.
Example 2:
HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <h1>GeeksforGeeks</h1> <h3>HTML Header Tag</h3> <!--HTML header tag starts here--> <header> <h1>This is the heading.</h1> <h4>This is the sub-heading.</h4> <p>This is the metadata.</p> </header> <!--HTML header tag ends here--> </body> </html>
Output:
HTML <header> Tag
In this example:
- Main content: The document has a primary title (
<h1>GeeksforGeeks) followed by a secondary heading (<h3>HTML Header Tag). - Header tag: Inside the
<header>, there’s a primary heading (<h1>) and a subheading (<h4>) along with a paragraph (<p>).
Example 3:
This HTML code demonstrates the usage of the <header> tag to structure a navigation section of a webpage.
HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <h1>GeeksforGeeks</h1> <h3>HTML Header Tag</h3> <!--HTML header tag starts here--> <header> <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/fundamentals-of-algorithms/"> Algo</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/data-structures/"> DS</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/category/program-output/"> Languages</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/company-interview-corner/"> Interview</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/student-corner/"> Students</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/gate-cs-notes-gq/"> Gate</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/articles-on-computer-science-subjects-gq/"> CS Subjects</a> | <a href= "https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/quiz-corner-gq/"> Quizzes</a> <div class="search-bar"> <input type="text" placeholder="Search products..."> <button>Search</button> </div> </header> <!--HTML header tag ends here--> </body> </html>
Output:
In this example:
- The navigation links (<a> tags) within the <header> allow users to quickly jump to different sections of the site. These links are separated by a pipe (|) symbol for readability.
Key Points to Remember About the <header> Tag
- Multiple headers: You can have multiple
<header> tags on a page. For example, each section or article can have its own <header>, but there should only be one site-wide <header>. - Not just for titles: While the
<header> tag often contains a heading (<h1>, <h2>), it can also hold other elements like navigation links (<nav>), search bars, or introductory text. - Keep it clear: The
<header> tag should contain introductory content. It’s not meant to hold all content; its purpose is to help introduce or navigate the content.
Supported Browsers
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