How to Bold Text in HTML: Mastering Text Styling

When creating web pages, styling text is an important part of making your content clear and engaging. Knowing how to bold text in HTML is basic but valuable knowledge for web developers and designers. Bolding text helps highlight important information, making it easier for users to focus on key details. HTML provides simple tags for bolding, and each serves a specific purpose.

The <b> tag is often used for bolding, while the <strong> tag is intended to emphasise text with added importance. Understanding the correct use of these tags is essential for creating accessible and well-structured web pages. Additionally, combining bold tags with CSS offers flexibility, allowing you to modify your design.

In this article, we will explore how to bold text in HTML. We will also explain the difference between the <b> and <strong> tags and share examples to make learning easier.

Why Use Bold Text in HTML?

Bold text in HTML is used to make certain parts of the content stand out, helping readers quickly identify important information. It can highlight headers, bring attention to important details, or bring attention to specific phrases. Understanding how to bold text HTML is essential for improving both readability and design. Here are some reasons highlighting why to use bold text in HTML:

• Highlight Key Information: Bold text makes important words or phrases stand out, grabbing the reader’s attention.
• Improve Readability: Bold text makes key phrases or headings easier to find, helping readers skim through the content.
• Guide User Focus: Bold text directs the reader’s attention to important details, ensuring they don’t miss key information.
• Improve Visual Structure: Bold text helps organise the content, making it easier to scan and follow.
• Improve Accessibility and SEO: Using bold text with tags like <strong> not only highlights important points but also helps screen readers and improves SEO by signalling important keywords to search engines.

Learn How to Add an Image in HTML here!

Methods to Bold Text in HTML

HTML provides different methods to bold text, depending on the purpose and context. The two most common tags are <b> and <strong>. Both styles make text appear bold, but they are used differently. If you’re wondering how to bold text in HTML, these tags are the simplest solutions. Use <b> for styling and <strong> for semantic emphasis. For instance, warnings, key points, or instructions requiring extra attention should use the <strong> tag to make their significance clear.

Let’s understand both tags in more detail:

Using the <b> Tag

The <b> tag is designed for styling purposes. It makes text bold without adding extra meaning or importance to the content. It is ideal for decorative bolding in contexts where highlighting isn’t necessary. This tag works well for highlighting parts of text that need visual attention without affecting accessibility.

• Syntax:<b>This text is bold</b>
• Example:<p>Our <b>special offer</b> ends soon!</p>

Using the <strong> Tag

The <strong> tag is used when bold text carries additional significance. While exploring how to bold text in HTML, we learn that <strong> tag not only changes the appearance of the text but also indicates its importance to search engines and screen readers. This helps search engines understand the relevance of specific keywords, improving SEO. For users relying on screen readers, it ensures that important content is clearly highlighted.

• Syntax:<strong>This text is bold and important</strong>
• Example: <p>Please read the <strong>terms and conditions</strong> before proceeding.</p>

Read on to learn How to Change Font in HTML.

Differences Between <b> and <strong> Tags

When learning how to bold text in HTML, understanding the difference between <b> and <strong> tags is essential. While both make text bold, their purposes differ. The <b> tag is used for styling, whereas <strong> provides additional semantic meaning for accessibility and SEO purposes. Understanding when to use these tags ensures your content is both visually appealing and functional for all users. The table below highlights the differences between <b> and <strong> tag:

Aspect	<b> Tag	<strong> Tag
Styling	Renders text as bold, focusing on appearance.	Renders text as bold but also indicates importance to screen readers and search engines.
Example	Adds bold styling without importance.<p>This is a <b>bold</b> </b> example.</p>	Indicates importance and bold styling.<p>This is a <strong>bold and important</strong> example.</p>
Purpose	Decorative purposes, focusing on stylistic aspects.	Emphasises important content for accessibility and SEO.
Use Cases	For stylistic emphases, such as product names or decorative text.	For critical information, like warnings or essential instructions.

Step-by-Step: Bold Text in Your Webpage

Learning how to bold text in HTML is a simple process that improves the appearance and readability of your webpage. Bold text helps highlight important information, making it easier for visitors to find important content quickly. It also enhances the visual structure, improving the overall user experience on your page. Remember to choose the correct tag for the purpose of your text to ensure clarity and proper formatting.

Follow these steps to correctly bold your text and ensure it is displayed as intended in your browser.

1. Open Your HTML File: Start by opening your HTML file in a text editor like VSCode, Sublime Text, or Notepad++. These tools allow you to edit the code efficiently.

2. Locate the Text to Be Bolded: Identify the specific word or phrase that needs focus. This could be a heading, important information, or a label that stands out on your page.

3. Add the Appropriate Tag: Wrap the selected text in either or tags.

1. <b> Tag: Use this for styling purposes without implying additional meaning.
2. <strong> Tag: Use this when the bold text conveys importance or urgency.

Example:

1. <p>Welcome to our <b>HTML course</b>.</p>
2. <p>Don’t miss our <strong>important updates</strong>!</p>

This example shows how to add bold text in HTML for different purposes.

4. Save and View Changes: Once you’ve added the tags, save your file. Open it in a browser to confirm the bolding is displayed as expected. By doing this, you can see how to bold a word in HTML in action.

Explore How to link to HTML Pages here!

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When learning how to bold text in HTML, it’s essential to avoid common mistakes that can affect the readability and functionality of your webpage. Incorrectly using the bold tag in non-essential areas can clutter the design and distract users. By understanding the best practices, you can ensure that bold text is used effectively to highlight important information without overwhelming the page’s layout. 

Let’s explore some of these mistakes and how you can prevent them to create clean, well-structured code.

Overuse of Bold: 

While bolding is a great way to highlight text, using it too much can overwhelm readers and make your content harder to scan. Reserve bold text for headings, key points, or essential information.

Solution: Be selective about what you bold. This ensures clarity without distracting the reader. For instance:

<p>Our <strong>special offers</strong> are limited to this week!</p>

Incorrect Nesting: 

Improperly nested tags can break the structure of your code and cause unexpected results in browsers. Following proper nesting helps ensure your page renders properly and avoids confusion when figuring out how to bold text in HTML.

For example:

<b>This is <strong>not correct</b></strong>

Solution: Close each tag in the correct order:

<b>This is correct</b>

Neglecting Accessibility:

Accessibility is important for users relying on screen readers. Using <b> for emphasis instead of <strong> can result in your content losing its meaning for these users.

Solution: Use <strong> for text that has importance or conveys urgency:

<p>Please read the <strong>instructions carefully</strong> before proceeding.</p>

By addressing these mistakes, you can create clear, accessible content while mastering how to bold text in HTML.

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In conclusion, knowing how to bold text in HTML is essential for any web developer. By using the correct tags, such as <b> for decoration and <strong> for attention, you can effectively highlight important content while ensuring accessibility. Understanding when and how to use these tags improves the design and functionality of your webpage. With this knowledge, you can create clear and engaging web pages that enhance user experience and SEO.

Visit the Digital Regenesys website to learn more about our UI/UX and Graphic Design Course with Gen AI. 

How to Bold Text in HTML – FAQs