Otis Brown, Jr. writes:

This is very timely advice. In a previous article I wanted to underline, number and bullet items but didn’t know how to do it. Now, I do. I’ll be using it in my next article.
Thank you!

[Reply]

Don writes:

I thought all I had to do was write an article in Word and post it. When should I use the HTML tags?

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Don,

Our article submission page allows for multiple ways of formatting your articles:

1. You can use the WYSIWYG editor on the submission page and compose the formatting of your articles there.

2. You can turn off WYSIWYG in the editor and use HTML tags to format your text.

3. You can compose in Word, copy the text and paste into the editor using the “Paste from Word” button.

4. You can compose in a dedicated text editor using HTML tags and then copy/paste that text into the editor.

There’s no right or wrong way to do it, although using HTML tags, like in methods 2 and 4, will allow for a little more control and functionality.

You’re using method 3 – which is fine. Do what works best for you!

March 31, 2010 at 9:07 AM

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Vic Woodhouse writes:

I have an article held as a problem partly for HTML Article ID: 2920355 “Excessive HTML – Sorry, you have prohibited HTML tags in your article”. I would be grateful if you could let me know what the HTML problem is.

I also did not understand the editorial problem “Your article body does not fulfill the promise made in the article title” and would appreciate more information on this aspect from the appropriate person.

Regards

Vic Woodhouse

April 6, 2010 at 8:46 AM

[Reply]

Christopher M. Knight writes:

Vic,

I will have our Member Support Team address your question privately.

As a general rule, we don’t provide member support in public forums about very specific issues because it would require us disclosing sensitive specific info that is better handled 1:1 privately.

April 6, 2010 at 9:34 AM

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Kathy Ostman-Magnusen writes:

Thanks

[Reply]

Sharon writes:

Thanks for giving those of us who are non-techie a quick lesson on html. I found it really helpful as a new author, since I struggled with getting my first couple of articles linked properly to my website.

[Reply]

Richard Preisig writes:

Thank you for this article. This basic html information can take a great article and make it even better.

Cheers!

[Reply]

Jogos Gratis writes:

This is so basic, but there are so many people that have no idea how to make their articles look better using bold, italic and more formatting techniques.

Great article!

[Reply]

Joel D Canfield writes:

Generally, this is a great short lesson in the basics; very helpful. I have a quibble, though.

Since we’re all professionals and want to appear such, I think we all take meaning very seriously. Looking at the second bullet point under #2, as a web developer from way back, I’m disappointed to see this poor coding practice being taught because it puts appearance over meaning.

Bold font simply uses thicker lines. It has no real meaning, per se. The ‘strong’ tag is semantic; it adds meaning to what’s written.

While your browser might display elements marked strong the same as elements marked b, that’s not a future-proof method (primarily because, in essence, it’s wrong.) Don’t confuse visual appearance with actual meaning. In a speech, adding emphasis doesn’t always mean to speak louder; emphasis might mean, in the right circumstances, to speak softer. The em tag allows any device to interpret what ‘emphasis’ is. The i tag simply says ‘use the italic version of this font’, which, in speech, means nothing at all.

Today, browsers create a safe fallback position. Good coding habits, even in these simple ways, will ensure that when browsers move to the next generation, your HTML tags won’t all be broken.

Meaning is vital. Don’t obscure it, please.

[Reply]

Joel D Canfield writes:

Ah; the point I forgot: please oh please, do not ever use underlined text on the web.

Underlined text should be a link. Links are generally underlined or in some other way visually identified.

Text which is underlined but is not a link makes a promise to your readers which is immediately broken.

If you use the ‘u’ tag to underline non-linked text, I’m pretty sure the sky will fall on your head. Pretty sure.

March 30, 2010 at 2:25 PM

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Joel,

This one I have to agree on. In the many years I’ve been using HTML tags in writing, I’ve used the underline tag once – and I remember agonizing over the decision.

But, alas, like anything else it does have its place and I would have been remiss in not pointing it out.

And I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about the sky falling. Pretty sure.

Thanks for the input. :)

March 30, 2010 at 6:02 PM

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Joel,

You bring up some good arguments for the use of appropriate tags in various applications. I would heartily agree with you if we were talking to seasoned web-coding professionals … but we’re not.

In this case we’re talking to Expert Authors who may already be intimidated by the use of HTML tags in their articles. To add this extra layer of complexity and confusion would be a disservice to them and their readers.

The decision to go with ‘italics’ and ‘bold’ versus ‘emphasis’ and ‘strong’ was a conscious one we made based on the needs of our target audience for simplicity and clarity. In the end, their desire to create better articles supersedes the desires of the HTML purists.

I’d also point out that the jury is still deliberating on the validity of using one set of tags versus the other. There are those that would say all four tags have a place in the stylistic repertoire of the author. This article http://rishida.net/blog/?p=134 is a prime example – although the article appears to provide a clear-cut answer, the comments reveal quite the opposite.

In the end, we decided to leave those muddy waters to those best equipped to navigate them.

March 30, 2010 at 5:31 PM

[Reply]

Joel D Canfield writes:

Well, Marc, while I see your point, I think specifically because these folks are new, it was a perfect chance to share that em = emphasize, strong = strong, and pretend the others don’t exist.

The bloggers and writers I teach don’t have a problem with it.

(I sincerely hope this all comes across as a passionate to educate, not as a condescending angry rant. I’m smiling because I enjoy good conversation about teaching and learning, and honest, I’ve learned so much from y’all that I feel badly I’ve never added a ‘nice work!’ comment before now.)

March 30, 2010 at 7:32 PM

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Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

You may be right – again, it was one of those judgment calls we make hundreds of times each day.

Happily, our public discussion of the topic may go a long way in doing exactly what you wish we’d have done in the first place. So either way, you get your wish. :)

Thanks for the ‘nice work’ comment and your insights. You’re welcome, and encouraged, to share both anytime.

March 30, 2010 at 9:22 PM

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Sherry Day writes:

Thanks, Chris. This will make it easier to format instead of fighting the programming.

[Reply]

william kayser writes:

Great info and keep the videos coming, I personally learn more from videos

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

William,

We intend to – thanks for feedback.

March 30, 2010 at 4:34 PM

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Kevin Graham writes:

Nice work translating some basic HTML for us. It’s reminiscent of when Word Processing came out and we broke away from type writers…. we all had to learn all these cute new things that made our lives better and produced a more polished piece. Of course, I am not old enough to remember typewriters but just making an analogy. Thanks!

[Reply]

Dere writes:

Hi thanks for the good video information.

Regards
Derek Weller
world2info.com

[Reply]

Russ writes:

I don’t know much about HTML. This video really was informative and easy to follow.

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nt2subtle writes:

Informative and helpful. Although i did classes on HTML at University its always good to brush up with some basic, yet effective code.

[Reply]

Marshall Masters writes:

This is good for beginners, but advanced users need a simple guide with allowable tags and where these tags can appear.

HTML can be very sophisticated with complex tags. There should be a reference to which version of HTML is accepted, such as HTML 3.2 for example.

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

The obvious answer is that you should always try to use the latest version of HTML.

With that said, however, in the case of our article submissions it’s really a non-issue. We only allow a very small subset of the available HTML tags to be used in article submissions – not the entire gamut of any given version.

I hope that makes sense.

March 30, 2010 at 7:06 PM

[Reply]

Marshall Masters writes:

You do not understand the question is the obvious answer.

The HTML in this article was part of HTML 1.0 (as in the last century.)

If you are declaring a subset, you should list all supported tags with coding examples and conflicts. Or, provide a link.

March 30, 2010 at 8:09 PM

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

You’re exactly right. The HTML I discussed was part of 20th Century HTML, so it doesn’t get more basic than that! :)

And, per your suggestion, we do offer a list of supported tags directly above the article submission field.

The idea of providing coding examples and conflicts is a good one – thanks! We may include that in a future site enhancement.

March 30, 2010 at 9:16 PM

[Reply]

Pat Crosby writes:

Thanks for explaing the Alien Language http.

I have some understanding of it now.

As a writer, here is the shortcut I use all the time.

I COMPOSE in gmail. Best word processing system out there, I think. Easy to use and save (in the cloud)

Then I COPY AND POST to a BLOGGER POST BOX.

I COPY in RICH TEXT mode. Then I toggle to HTML mode.

Now I have html coded text I can paste wherever I need that. So far, has ALWAYS worked.

Yea Google! (I am a google fan, of course.)

Glad to know I can submit html articles to EzineArticles. Much sexier than plain jane text.

[Reply]

Larry Cicchiello writes:

Watching this video was time very well spent. I knew how to anchor text but did not know how to use bold, italics and make a numbered or a list with bullets. I tried using the shortcut on my keyboard for Ctrl B for bold or Ctrl U for underlining. It would not work. For those of you who are new to this coding, don’t give up. The first time it may take you 5 or 10 minutes. The second time 3 or 4 minutes, etc. After about 5 successes to fall back on, it gets much easier. I promise. Make good use of it!

[Reply]

Donald E Yerke writes:

Marc: That was a very good video on html, which I am used to coding in. I think I will start using a minor touch to highlight some article features, so thanks. I would suggest to others this was a load of great options, but to be selective. Thank you.

Marc: I am going to be on you about your writing. Most writers aim for 12 word sentences, and never over 20. If I counted correct your sentence below has 50 words! Please have someone check your writing before you publish it.

In this less-than-ideal world, the harsh reality is that you have only seconds to make a good initial impression and a few minutes (at best) to maintain the reader’s interest while simultaneously avoiding any confusion or ambiguity that might cause them to scamper off to the next URL.

Keep the videos coming. I watched this one twice.

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Donald,

You caught me. That is one nasty-long sentence. You’ll notice I’ve since edited the one long sentence into two shorter, more succinct sentences.

In my defense, however, I contend that it was neither grammatically incorrect nor did it qualify as a run-on sentence. But it did make for a tough read, so thanks for pointing it out. :)

March 30, 2010 at 6:44 PM

[Reply]

Emily Sandstrom writes:

That long sentence is perfectly well formed and readable to any literate person.
Some people – especially younger people – get the hives when they are farther than usual from the nearest period. Vanessa did that to me in an article I wrote. I had studied that sentence, and it was integral and well formed. I appealed to a higher court.

November 1, 2010 at 6:34 PM

[Reply]

Pauline Fredrickson writes:

Thanks again. These articles are clear, concise and very helpful for people like me, who are learning all this stuff. Thanks for helping me make my articles more meaningful and now apealing.

[Reply]

Don Crouse writes:

Nice video on basic HTML and how to use tags to organize articles. Good stuff!

[Reply]

Lyn Birrell writes:

Being new to article writing, I found this article very helpful. Especially the tips on HTML! Thanks I will endeavour to use some of these suggestions.

[Reply]

Oghenero Otite writes:

So short and so quick but yet so valuable. I can never say thank you enough for your continued assistance. Thanks a million.

[Reply]

Mike Grafstein writes:

Learned a few new things. I have self taught myself to point with code – still know very little but this is excellent info.
Thanks!

[Reply]

Joshua Nyamache writes:

That is great and now I have known the HTML basics which I had no clear knowledge where to use them e.g the bold, underlined and italic. From today on wards will be using them correctly. I have really gained. The illustrations in your video are clear. Thanks.

[Reply]

Bob writes:

Thanks for the video Chris, it was very useful especially as my knowledge of HTML is nil. Look forward to using this new info in my next article.

[Reply]

Kathi Harris writes:

I did know how to do the bold, underline, and italics…but the ‘list’ coding i didn’t know. Thank you.
Shortcut tip for anyone who is new to this:
I have a notepad document on my desktop with the html codes for the basics, including the anchor text formatting. ie:
<b></b>

<i></i>

<strong></strong>

<a href=”yourwebaddress.com” rel=”nofollow”>Webaddress Name</a>

and others, so when I want to use those features, it’s a simple copy and paste.

I paste in the code, then type in, or cut and paste the desired text <i>right here</i>

[Reply]

Bobbi writes:

Great idea Kathi, I am going to make one for my desktop right now! Thanks for the very useful tip!

April 1, 2010 at 5:53 PM

[Reply]

Kathi Harris writes:

You’re welcome. It works great for me, so thought I’d pass it along. I’m fairly new here, too, and really enjoy the tips and training they provide.

I’m too much of a techno-dummy to figure out how to make a website, so I’m mostly using squidoo lenses, for my landing pages. Their set-up requires html for any kind of special text stuff. My first couple of pages were pretty blah looking. Then I found one of their instruction sites had all the basic html stuff, so I just copy ‘n pasted onto my notepad, and have everything right there.

April 2, 2010 at 9:06 AM

[Reply]

Emily Sandstrom writes:

Your method would be even easier if you use Notepad (not everyone has it), make it skinny enough to fit alongside where you type your article, and put your list there, and cut and paste from there.
I use notepad all the time for purposes like this. You can pull pieces of articles out, save them in a grab bag or title them unto themselves.

November 1, 2010 at 6:38 PM

[Reply]

michael jordan writes:

for people who knows HTML this may look simple but it is a must read for the guys who is not aware of the things

Thanks for the share

[Reply]

Joe Kosterich writes:

Very helpful and easy to understand.I did not have a clue about this before.Now I feel I can use it. Thank you

[Reply]

Thomas P. Lane writes:

Thanks for clearing the fog. I now know how to use this thing that was so foriegn to me before. Thank You Thank You Thank You.

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

You’re welcome. You’re welcome. You’re welcome. Glad we could help. :)

April 1, 2010 at 4:09 PM

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Nancy writes:

Excellent–concise and very clear. EzineArticle’s ongoing educational efforts are first-rate.

[Reply]

Bobbi writes:

Hi Marc,

I am new to the site but I am learning alot from you and I love your videos. I am a more visual person and your points come across very clear. Keep up the good work. Where can I find more or your videos?

Thanks so much!

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Hi Bobbi,

Thanks for the kudos! :) I’m visual like that, too, so I completely understand.

The entire collection of EzineArticles videos is in two places. Take your pick:

1. Our YouTube Channel

2. Our Video Archive

April 1, 2010 at 6:23 PM

[Reply]

Karen Cioffi writes:

I just want to thank you for always including a text portion for those of us who rather read.

And, thanks for the useful info.

[Reply]

Karen Cioffi writes:

Forgot to mention that Marshall Masters’ suggestion to add coding examples would be a big help.

And, Kathy’s suggestion about saving the html code and just filling in the blanks is great! I’ll be doing just that.

[Reply]

Cheryl Kuchka writes:

Hi Marc,

I found the information you provided to be very helpful. I particularly needed help with making a URL hyperlinked. It was very helpful.

Have a great day!

[Reply]

Amudhan writes:

It will be a great help to me if can explain how create links to my website in author resource box

[Reply]

Christopher M. Knight writes:

Amudhan,

Did you watch the video in this blog entry?

The answer to your question is around 5:35 (5 minutes and 35 seconds into the video).

You can also find an answer in this article:
Essential HTML Skills For Article Authors – 7 Tips

April 3, 2010 at 8:09 PM

[Reply]

Jose Lasa writes:

Oh Marc thanks a lot, I mean Thanks a LOT, because that is what I was trying to find out, how to hyperlink a URL. Please keep up the good work and the videos, which I think are awesome.

Blessings,

Jose Lasa

[Reply]

Roberta writes:

Thank you for the html training. I realize now that it is not as scary as I thought. I will now put into practice what I have just learned. Thank you EzineArticles!!!

[Reply]

Sean Breslin writes:

I found that a very useful video, Thank You…. The lesson will be applied.

[Reply]

jupen writes:

This’s Goog Training For newbie in HTML Basics….

[Reply]

Muhammad amjad butt writes:

i have submitted some article in EzineArticles site but i don’t know why my articles are not approving. can anyone give me suggestion how can approved my articles from EzineArticles site.

[Reply]

Penny, Managing Editor writes:

Muhammad,

I would recommend contacting us privately to discuss your account/articles specifically. Look for a private email shortly.

September 8, 2010 at 9:24 AM

[Reply]

Hyakubun writes:

The explanation contained in the article html tags is excellent It conveys in a simple and lucid manner the html tags even for a senior citizen like me who has just retired from a bank. And I feel age is no bar for learning new things The html tag is so clear in my mind and many many thanks for the way it is presented.

[Reply]

Vicki Lancaster writes:

I found this so helpful. I am new to all of this and was very frustrated that I couldn’t workout how to put anchor text into my article. Now I know why I couldn’t and hopefully, how to now:)
Thanks for the video. I am a VERY visual learner and really like to SEE exactly what you are talking about. Plus it allows me to ‘pause’ and take notes. I also find the 2 minute video tips extremely helpful. Appreciate all the work you put in to making these. Thanks

[Reply]

Dreamweaver training writes:

Thanks for your excellent video tutorial about HTML.
I think it will be great helpful tips for me.

[Reply]

Ian Belanger writes:

Excellent post, thank you for giving me a clear understanding of basic HTML, it will be put to good use.

[Reply]

Kathy writes:

I have never used HTML. I found your article and subsequent comments helpful.

Thanks

[Reply]

detkhobut writes:

I found the article on html very interesting and helpfull.I have been thinking about html myself.How it works and how nto do it.

[Reply]

Kimberly writes:

I’m so grateful these invaluable trainings are forever files. Thanks so much!

[Reply]

William Post writes:

This is indeed useful. I also found somewhere on the web a free html editor. You paste your code in the box above and it shows you below what it would look like in a browser. I find it useful for testing everything before submitting.

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Thanks for the tip, William. Here’s the one I use: http://www.w3schools.com/html/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_headers

January 27, 2011 at 8:34 AM

[Reply]

Grazina writes:

That is a brilliant tutorial. I always avoided HTML and now I can understand how it works, thank you, Marc. I’m going to learn more, that was the first confidence step I needed.
Just a question about text under the video, Format of an HTML Tag: –
“In general, tags exist in pairs: An ‘Open’ tag (e.g. ) and a ‘Close’ tag (e.g. ) which includes a backslash”
shouldn’t that be “forward slash”?
And subtitle 4 is not bold, but I think I’m just nitpicking here :o)
Grazina

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Grazina, you are quite correct – that should read “forward slash”. Thanks for pointing out our error. The Blog has been updated with the proper verbiage.

January 27, 2011 at 8:33 AM

[Reply]

Carolyn Turner writes:

Great explanation. I thought it would be more complicated. You made it seem easy. I know that it will take a few uses for me to feel comfortable using HTML. I have bookmarked your site for future reference.
Thanks so much.

[Reply]

Pati Springmeyer writes:

Here are some commonly used and helpful HTML code pieces I found on the eBay seller help pages (so please excuse the examples about Bid Now!). I have started using these for the new articles I am writing, and also my blog posts about my fine art paintings.

I’m not sure how this will look when pasted into the comment form, but here goes:

Paragraphs, Line Breaks, and Horizontal Lines

* Surround your paragraphs with the tags for a paragraph.
* The tag starts a new line without skipping any space.
* To draw a line across the screen, use (for “horizontal rule”).

Tag How to use it What it
looks like
Bid on my item!
You’ll enjoy it!

Bid on my item!

You’ll enjoy it!
Bid on my item! You’ll enjoy it! Bid on my item!
You’ll enjoy it!
Bid on my item! You’ll enjoy it! Bid on my item!You’ll enjoy it!
Create Titles Six Different Ways!
Tag How to use it What it
looks like
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Bid on my item!
Emphasize Words Using Bold, Italic, and Underline
Tag How to use it What it
looks like
Bid on my item! Bid on my item!
Bid on my item! Bid on my item!
Increase or Decrease Your Font One Size at a Time Using and Tags
Tag How to use it What it
looks like

Bid right away for a great deal and you may win! Bid right away for a great deal and you may win!

Bid now! Before it’s all over! Bid now! Before it’s all over!

Use Color
Liven type up with built-in colors like aqua, black, blue, fuchsia, gray, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, purple, red, silver, teal, yellow or white.
Tag How to use it What it
looks like
Bid
now and you may win! Bid now and you may win!
Bid
now and you may win! Bid now and you may win!
Center Your Text
Tag How to use it What it
looks like

Bid now!
Bid now!
Create Lists with Bullets or Numbers

* Begin your list with for an ordered, or numbered, list.
* Start the list with for a bulleted list.
* Each item in the list should have an tag at the beginning and at the end.

Tag How to use it What it
looks like

My item is:

New
In excellent condition
My item is:

* New
* In excellent condition

My item is:

New
In excellent condition
My item is:

1. New
2. In excellent condition

Attach a Picture to Your Listing
Use the tag and indicate the Web address for the picture.
Tag How to use it What it
looks like
Your picture will appear in the Web browser at the spot where your tag is listed.

To get exactly the effect you want—just combine tags. For example, if you want buyers to see:

Bid now!

Your HTML should say:

Bid now!

Best to all,
Pati

[Reply]

Peter Knowlton writes:

Your HTML info is great but in practice isn’t there more code to use HTML successfully? Submitting an article, only knowing the few codes you have discussed, would have to be partially in HTML and partially in WYSIWYG. Is that correct? Using HTML, would a text look like a run on paragraph, with code and text mixed in?
Thanks

[Reply]

Marc, Product Marketing Manager writes:

Peter – Our system is a hybrid system that recognizes HTML but also recognizes common standards … like line breaks. So to answer your question, all you need to do is create a hard line break between paragraphs and our system will recognize that as a new paragraph and maintain the proper spacing. No paragraph or break tags are needed.

May 3, 2011 at 11:32 AM

[Reply]

Oindreela writes:

This is the tutorial I was looking everywhere for. Thanks!!!!!!!

[Reply]