HTML Editors and Tools
Now that you’ve created your first HTML page, let’s level up and explore the tools that make writing HTML easier, faster, and more fun.
You don’t need anything fancy to start — just a text editor and a browser. But some tools can really boost your productivity.
✏️ 1. Basic Text Editors
These come built-in with your system. They’re simple, clean, and great for quick edits.
| Editor | OS | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notepad | Windows | Basic, but works for small HTML files |
| TextEdit | macOS | Set to plain text mode |
| Gedit / Nano | Linux | Lightweight and fast |
⚠️ These don’t have code highlighting or error hints. Great for practice, not ideal for bigger projects.
💡 2. Code Editors (Recommended)
These are more powerful and designed for developers. They highlight syntax, auto-complete code, and show errors.
| Editor | Features |
|---|---|
| VS Code (Most Popular) | Free, fast, extensions for HTML/CSS/JS |
| Sublime Text | Lightweight, fast, has a free version |
| Atom | Clean interface, beginner-friendly |
| Brackets | Made for web designers, with live preview |
✅ Recommended: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
- Autocomplete tags
- Live Server Extension
- Extensions for HTML, Emmet, Prettier
🌐 3. Browsers (For Preview and Inspection)
You’ll always need a browser to preview your HTML.
Popular browsers:
- Chrome (best dev tools)
- Firefox (good for accessibility testing)
- Safari, Edge, etc.
🔎 Use Developer Tools (Right-click → Inspect)
- View and edit HTML/CSS live
- Test responsive layouts
- Debug JavaScript
🔄 4. Live Preview Tools (No Setup Needed)
These let you code directly in the browser:
| Tool | Link |
|---|---|
| CodePen | codepen.io |
| JSFiddle | jsfiddle.net |
| JSBin | jsbin.com |
| PlayCode | playcode.io |
Great for quick testing, sharing code snippets, and learning.
📦 5. Useful Extensions for VS Code
- Live Server – Auto-refresh browser as you code
- Prettier – Format HTML nicely
- Emmet – Type shortcuts like
ul>li*5and press tab - Auto Rename Tag – Updates closing tag when you rename opening tag
📝 Quick Recap
- You can write HTML in any text editor, but VS Code is highly recommended
- Use browsers to preview and debug your pages
- Tools like CodePen are great for fast testing
- Extensions make your workflow faster and easier
👉 Coming Up Next:
Let’s break down the actual building blocks of HTML — tags, elements, and attributes.
📚 Next: HTML Tags, Elements, and Attributes