Semantic HTML Is a Contract
Choose semantic HTML elements for common page structure instead of defaulting to generic containers.
The browser cannot infer product intent from visual styling alone. The concept Semantic HTML works because the browser already understands many interface jobs before CSS or JavaScript run. Navigation, main content, buttons, headings, labels, and form controls carry built-in meaning that travels to assistive technology, browser behavior, automated tests, and future maintainers. Why it works The mechanism is contract alignment. A generic container can be styled to look like anything, but it starts with no role, no keyboard behavior, and no document meaning. When the visible design says button but the HTML says generic box, every consumer of the page…
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