4. HTML Nesting: How to Nest Elements Correctly and Why It Matters

Hey there!

You’ve structured your first web page—awesome! Now, you may notice that most HTML elements live inside other elements. That’s called nesting, and it’s a crucial part of writing clean, valid HTML.

New to Web Development?
If you’re brand new to coding or the web, I highly recommend checking out my earlier post:
3. How to Structure a Web Page Using HTML

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Can I put a  inside a <div>?”
“Why does my layout break when I add a tag?”
“Do I need to close every element before the next one starts?”

This guide is for you.

Let’s break down HTML nesting—what it is, how it works, and why it matters.

What Is Nesting in HTML?

Nesting is placing one HTML element inside another. It’s how you group content and create a logical structure for your web page.

For example:

<p>This is a paragraph with <strong>bold text</strong> inside it.</p>

Here:

The  tag is nested inside the  tag
The  tag is the parent, and  is the child

This relationship helps browsers understand how to display your content and helps developers keep everything organized.

Why Nesting Matters

Proper nesting helps you:

Avoid layout bugs in browsers
Maintain clean, readable code
Write valid HTML that passes validation tools
Support accessibility tools like screen readers

Incorrect nesting may still render, but it can confuse browsers and lead to unpredictable behavior.

Valid Nesting Examples

Let’s look at some examples that use correct nesting.

Example 1: Bold Text Inside a Paragraph

<p>This is <strong>important</strong> information.</p>

Valid: The  element is inline, so it can go inside a .

Example 2: List Inside a Section

<section>
  <h2>Shopping List</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>Milk</li>
    <li>Bread</li>
  </ul>
</section>

Valid: <ul> and <li> elements are correctly nested inside a <section> block.

Example 3: Links and Spans Inside Paragraphs

<p>Visit my <a href="https://github.com">GitHub</a> for more.</p>

Valid: Inline elements like <a> can be inside a .

Invalid Nesting Examples

Let’s see some common nesting mistakes that beginners make.

Example 1: Block Element Inside Inline

<strong><p>Oops!</p></strong>

Invalid: You can’t put a block-level element like  inside an inline element like .

Example 2: Improperly Nested Tags

htmlCopyEdit<p><em>This is emphasized</p></em>

Invalid: The  tag was opened before  ended, but closed afterward.

Fix it like this:

<p><em>This is emphasized</em></p>

Example 3: Overlapping Elements

<b><i>Bold and italic</b></i>

Invalid: This is called “tag soup”—don’t overlap tags.

Fix it like this:

<b><i>Bold and italic</i></b>

Understanding Block vs. Inline Elements

To nest elements properly, you need to understand the difference between block-level and inline-level elements.

Type	Examples	Behavior
Block	`<div>`, `<p>`, `<ul>`, `<section>`, `<header>`	Starts on a new line, takes full width
Inline	`<a>`, `<strong>`, `<img>`, `<span>`	Flows with text, does not start on a new line

Nesting Rules:

You can nest inline elements inside block elements
You should not nest block elements inside inline elements

Real-World Analogy: Nesting Like Boxes

Think of HTML elements like boxes:

A block element is a large box (like a suitcase)
An inline element is a smaller box (like a pouch)

You can put pouches inside suitcases—but not the other way around!

Formatting and Indentation Tips

Proper nesting also means making your code easy to read:

Good Example (clean indentation):

<ul>
  <li>
    <a href="#">Link</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <a href="#">Another Link</a>
  </li>
</ul>

Each child is indented under its parent. This makes your code easier to debug and work with on teams.

Browser Behavior: Browsers Try to Fix Bad Nesting

HTML is forgiving, and most browsers try to fix broken nesting for you. But don’t rely on that.

Bad nesting can:

Break your CSS styling
Mess up layout in older or mobile browsers
Make your code harder to maintain

Always write clean, valid code up front.

Try It Yourself: Nesting Practice

Practice 1: Article with a Link and Emphasis

<article>
  <h2>Learning HTML</h2>
  <p>I’m <em>really</em> enjoying learning <a href="#">HTML</a>.</p>
</article>

Practice 2: Navigation Menu

<nav>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="#home">Home</a></li>
    <li><a href="#projects">Projects</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

Try creating your own nested layout like a card, article, or form!

Recap: HTML Nesting in a Nutshell

Nesting is placing one HTML element inside another
Use proper hierarchy—don’t put block elements inside inline ones
Always close tags in the correct order
Use indentation to make your code clean and readable
Practice makes nesting second nature

Final Thoughts

Nesting may seem like a small detail—but it’s one of the most important parts of writing solid HTML.

Clean nesting helps your code:

Work across all browsers
Stay readable and maintainable
Behave consistently when styled with CSS

As your pages get more complex, good nesting becomes absolutely essential. Take your time with it now, and you’ll avoid tons of frustration later.