Tag mark

✨ The <mark> Tag in HTML: Highlighting with Meaning

In modern HTML, semantics matter. The <mark> tag is a semantic inline element that is used to highlight or mark textas relevant or noteworthy. Unlike styling with CSS alone, <mark> also gives the content meaning, which can be useful for search, accessibility, and user context.

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📌 What Is the <mark> Tag?

The <mark> tag is used to highlight portions of text that are relevant in the context of the page — for example, highlighting search terms or important information in an article.

By default, browsers render <mark> text with a yellow background, but this can be styled using CSS.

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🧪 Basic Example

<p>Search result: The <mark>climate change</mark> report was updated.</p>

🔍 Output:

Search result: The <mark>climate change</mark> report was updated.

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🧩 Structure Diagram

<p>
  └── Text
      └── <mark>Highlighted phrase</mark>

✅ The <mark> tag is an inline element, meaning it flows with the surrounding text.

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🎯 When to Use <mark>

Use Case	Example
🔍 Highlighting search keywords	<mark>keyword</mark> in search results
📝 Marking key phrases in articles	Important notes, dates, or warnings
📚 Study tools or reading aids	Highlighted quotes or vocabulary

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⚙️ Styling the <mark> Tag

While the default style is yellow with black text, you can customize it:

<style>
mark {
  background-color: #ffeb3b;
  color: black;
  padding: 0 4px;
  border-radius: 3px;
}
</style>

✅ This makes the highlight more visually appealing and consistent with your site design.

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📷 Example with Custom Style

htmlCopyEdit<p>Don't forget to <mark>submit your assignment</mark> before Friday.</p>

Styled with CSS:

mark {
  background-color: #00e676;
  color: white;
}

💡 Result: the phrase is now highlighted in bright green instead of yellow.

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🛑 Don’t Confuse With <strong> or <em>

Tag	Purpose	Visual
<mark>	Highlights relevant text	Yellow background (default)
<strong>	Emphasizes importance	Bold
<em>	Emphasizes stress/voice	Italic

Each tag has a semantic purpose, not just visual styling.

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✅ Accessibility Tip

The <mark> tag is natively recognized by screen readers as “marked” text, helping visually impaired users understand emphasis or relevance.

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✅ Conclusion

The <mark> tag is a powerful way to highlight important text while maintaining semantic structure. It improves both readability and accessibility, and it’s easy to style for a custom look. While often overlooked, it’s a great tool for content-driven websites, blogs, documentation, or search features.