When deciding between HTML's <section></section> and <article></article> tags, the key difference lies in their semantic meaning. While both are used to structure content on a webpage, <section></section> is meant for grouping thematically related content, often with a heading, whereas <article></article> is designed to wrap self-contained content that could stand alone—like a blog post or news story.
When to use <section></section>
Use <section></section> when you're organizing content into thematic blocks. Think of it like a chapter in a book—it makes sense within the context of the page but might not be meaningful on its own.
- It typically contains a heading (
<h1></h1>–<h6></h6>) - Useful for dividing up different areas of a page
- Not interchangeable with —it has semantic value
For example, on a product page, you might have a
<section></section>for product specs, another for reviews, and another for related items. Each serves a purpose and helps screen readers and search engines understand the layout.When
<article></article>fits betterThe
<article></article>tag should contain content that makes sense by itself. If you can imagine republishing the content elsewhere—like in an RSS feed or separate widget—it's likely a good candidate for<article></article>.
- Blog posts, forum threads, or news articles are classic uses
- Can be nested inside
<section></section>or other<article></article>elements - Often reused across different contexts or pages
A real-world example: a comments section on a blog post. Each comment could be an
<article></article>, especially if they include author info, content, and timestamp.Overlap and common confusion
Sometimes people mix these up because they look similar visually in the browser. The distinction is in independence vs. grouping:
- Use
<article></article>if the block could be syndicated or reused - Use
<section></section>to divide page content into logical parts - Both help accessibility and SEO, so choosing correctly matters
You might see a blog homepage with multiple
<article></article>elements inside a<section></section>that groups all recent posts. That structure tells assistive tech and crawlers that this area (the section) contains standalone pieces (articles).Accessibility and SEO impact
While neither tag affects how your page looks visually by default, they do influence how tools interpret your site:
- Screen readers use them to navigate content more effectively
- Search engines may give slight preference to well-structured semantic HTML
- Improper use doesn't break anything, but correct usage improves clarity
So even though using
with classes would work visually, using<section></section>and<article></article>properly adds meaning without extra effort.Basically that's it.
