Editors

To start writing HTML, you only need a simple text editor. HTML files are plain text files — any program that can save plain text can be used to write HTML.

What is an HTML Editor?

An HTML editor is a software application for creating web pages. It allows you to write and edit HTML code. There are two main types:

Plain Text Editors — Simple editors like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) where you write raw code
Code Editors / IDEs — Smart editors like VS Code with syntax highlighting, auto-complete, error detection, and many tools to help you code faster

Writing HTML Using Notepad (Windows)

You can write HTML using the simplest text editor — Notepad. Here is how:

Step 1 — Open Notepad

On Windows, open Notepad by searching for it in the Start menu.

Step 2 — Write HTML Code

Type the following HTML in Notepad:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>My First Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Hello World!</h1>
    <p>This is my first HTML page.</p>
</body>
</html>

Step 3 — Save the File

Save the file with a .html extension:

Go to File → Save As
Set the file name to index.html
Set Save as type to All Files
Click Save

Step 4 — Open in a Browser

Find your saved file, right-click it, and choose Open with → Browser. Your page will display in the browser!

Writing HTML Using TextEdit (Mac)

On Mac, you can use TextEdit to write HTML:

Open TextEdit and go to Preferences → Format and choose Plain Text
Write your HTML code
Save the file as index.html
Open the file in your browser

Professional HTML Editors

For a much better coding experience, professionals use dedicated code editors. These editors offer:

Syntax highlighting — different colors for tags, attributes, and values
Auto-complete — suggests code as you type
Error detection — highlights mistakes in real time
Live preview — see your page as you write
Extensions — add extra tools and features

Editor	Platform	Best For	Free?
VS Code	Windows, Mac, Linux	Everyone — Most popular	Free
Sublime Text	Windows, Mac, Linux	Fast & lightweight coding	✅ Free (paid license optional)
Notepad++	Windows only	Beginners on Windows	Free
Atom	Windows, Mac, Linux	Customizable editor	Free
Brackets	Windows, Mac, Linux	Front-end web design	Free

Recommended: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

For beginners and professionals alike, VS Code is the most recommended HTML editor in the world. Here is why:

Completely free and open-source
Has IntelliSense — smart auto-complete for HTML tags
Built-in Emmet support — type shortcuts and expand to full HTML
Huge library of extensions (e.g. Live Server to auto-refresh your page)
Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Tip: Install the Live Server extension in VS Code. It automatically refreshes your browser every time you save your HTML file — very useful when learning!

Online HTML Editors

You can also write and test HTML directly in your browser using online editors — no installation needed:

CodePen — codepen.io
JSFiddle — jsfiddle.net
W3Schools Tryit — w3schools.com/tryit

For Beginners: Start with Notepad to understand raw HTML, then move to VS Code when you are comfortable with the basics.

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