HTML <header> and <footer>: Introductory and Closing Content

Header introduces a page or section, while footer provides closing information such as authorship or related links. They can appear in a full page or inside an article.

What You Need to Know

A page-level header is not the same as the document head element. Also, header and footer do not automatically become top and bottom layout bars.

The goal is not to collect as many tags as possible. Pick the element that best describes what the content really is.

Example: See It in Action

Here is a simple example to experiment with. Type it, save the file, and check what the browser displays.

This is a short HTML fragment. To try it as a webpage, put it inside the body element of a complete HTML document.

<header>
    <h1>Student Journal</h1>
</header>
<main>
    <p>Welcome to our latest edition.</p>
</main>
<footer>
    <p>Written by the journalism class.</p>
</footer>

Let’s Understand the Example

• Header introduces a page or section, often with a title and navigation.
• Footer closes a page or section with related information.
• An h1 introduces the main subject of the page. Use the heading level for structure rather than font size.

You should see a readable heading and its related content. The heading level tells readers how the ideas fit together, not merely how large the letters look.

What Should You See?

The page should display “Student Journal” as a heading, followed by its related content. Change the heading text and refresh the browser to see the result.

Read only the headings, from top to bottom. Do they tell a sensible story? If not, move sections or choose levels that match the content.

Try It Yourself

1. Add a footer inside an article to credit its writer.
2. Save your changes, open or refresh the page, and compare the result with the original example.
3. Tell a friend what your change did. If you are not sure, undo it, refresh the page, and compare.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Confusing header with head and placing meta elements inside header.
• Avoid picking tags just for their default bold, italic or spaced appearance. Use CSS for presentation.

Key Takeaways

• Header introduces a page or section, while footer provides closing information such as authorship or related links.
• Header introduces a page or section, often with a title and navigation.
• A page-level header is not the same as the document head element. Also, header and footer do not automatically become top and bottom layout bars.