HTML Help Sidebar Markup: Related Content vs Main Content

An aside is useful for related material that supports a main article without being part of its central explanation.

What You Need to Know

Keep the main instructions inside the article. Give the aside a clear heading or label so readers can choose to explore it.

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

This example keeps the idea small. Copy it carefully, then follow the explanation instead of guessing what the browser will do.

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

<main>
    <article>
        <h1>Plant Care</h1>
        <p>Water gently.</p>
    </article>
</main>
<aside aria-label="Related guides">
    <h2>You may also like</h2>
    <a href="light.html">Light for plants</a>
</aside>

Let’s Understand the Example

• Main identifies the central content of the page; it should not be duplicated as separate visible main landmarks.
• Article marks a piece that could make sense on its own, such as a news post or recipe.
• An h1 introduces the main subject of the page. Use the heading level for structure rather than font size.
• Aria-label supplies an accessible name when a visible label is unavailable or inadequate.
• Href contains the destination of a link. A value starting with # points to an id on the same page.

The first example link points to light.html. Check whether that destination exists relative to the document. A link changes where readers go; it does not perform an action such as saving a form.

What Should You See?

The page should display “Plant Care” 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 one more relevant guide link to the aside.
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

• Moving essential instructions into the sidebar only because there is free space.
• Avoid picking tags just for their default bold, italic or spaced appearance. Use CSS for presentation.

Key Takeaways

• An aside is useful for related material that supports a main article without being part of its central explanation.
• Main identifies the central content of the page; it should not be duplicated as separate visible main landmarks.
• Keep the main instructions inside the article. Give the aside a clear heading or label so readers can choose to explore it.