HTML You Think You Know (But Probably Don’t)

#webdev #ai #html #frontend

HTML is usually the first thing we learn in frontend development —
and the first thing we stop thinking deeply about.

Most of us write HTML every day, but rarely question:

Is this the right element?

How will this behave with a keyboard?

What does this mean to a screen reader, bot, or automation tool?

In this article, I revisit HTML from a frontend engineering perspective — not as “just markup,” but as the foundation of everything we build on the web.

What this article covers
🔹 Semantic HTML

Why choosing the right element matters more than styling or JavaScript, and how semantics affect accessibility, SEO, and long-term maintainability.

🔹 Accessibility basics most of us skip

Keyboard navigation, focus order, and how small HTML choices can either block or enable users.

🔹 Focus management (tabindex)

How browsers decide focus order, when tabindex helps, and when it quietly breaks your UI.

🔹 HTML features we underuse

Elements and attributes that already solve problems we often reimplement with JavaScript.

🔹 Why HTML matters even more in 2026

With AI agents, voice interfaces, Smart TVs, embedded browsers, and automated testing tools consuming our UIs, clean and intentional HTML has become a real advantage.

Why I wrote this

As frontend developers, we spend a lot of time optimizing JavaScript and frameworks.

But many real-world bugs — especially on:

Smart TVs

Embedded browsers

Accessibility-heavy apps

…come down to HTML fundamentals.

This article is a reminder that mastering HTML isn’t beginner work — it’s engineering work.

👉 Read the full article here:
https://aryanshourie.substack.com/p/html-you-think-you-know-but-probably

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

What’s one HTML concept you only truly understood later in your career?

Any underrated HTML features you rely on?