HTML, which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, is the standard markup language used in creating web pages. It is not a programming language per se but rather a way to format and organize content on the web. HTML uses tags to structure text into headings, paragraphs, links and other elements like images or forms. These tags are enclosed in angle brackets with most of them coming in pairs - an opening tag and a closing tag. HTML forms the backbone of any webpage and is often used alongside CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for styling purposes and JavaScript for interactive features. HTML5 is its latest version that includes new functionalities aimed at offering more dynamic content while being easy to use. Overall, understanding HTML is fundamental when it comes to website development as it lays out the basic structure upon which websites are built.

Ask the right questions secure the right HTML talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General HTML app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in HTML application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

What is the purpose of DOCTYPE in HTML?

DOCTYPE is an instruction to the web browser about what version of HTML the page is written in. It ensures that the browser makes a best-effort attempt at following the relevant specifications, rather than using a different rendering mode.

What are some differences between HTML elements and tags?

HTML elements represent the content in the HTML document and tags are used to mark the start and end of an element. For example, the HTML element is everything between and including the start tag

and the end tag

, while the tags are just

and

.

What is the purpose of the alt attribute in HTML?

The alt attribute provides alternative information for an image if a user for some reason cannot view it because of slow connection, an error in the src attribute, or if the user uses a screen reader.

How would you create a hyperlink in HTML?

You can create a hyperlink using the anchor tag and the href attribute. The href attribute contains the URL of the page you want to link to.

What are HTML5 semantic elements and why are they used?

HTML5 semantic elements are elements with a meaning. They clearly describe their meaning to both the browser and the developer. Examples include

,

What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of HTML?

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Is the candidate familiar with other relevant technologies such as CSS and JavaScript?

Does the candidate have experience with responsive design?

Next 20 minutes

Specific HTML development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should focus on the candidate's expertise with specific backend frameworks, their understanding of RESTful APIs, and their experience in handling data storage and retrieval efficiently.

Describe the difference between block-level elements and inline elements in HTML.

Block-level elements start on a new line and take up the full width available. Inline elements do not start on a new line and only take up as much width as necessary. Examples of block-level elements include

and

to

. Examples of inline elements include and .

How would you use HTML to structure a webpage?

HTML is used to structure a webpage using different elements and tags. For example,

for the header section,

What is the use of data-* attribute in HTML?

The data-* attribute is used to store custom data private to the page or application. The stored data can then be used in the JavaScript to create a more engaging user experience without any Ajax calls or server-side database queries.

How would you embed a video in an HTML page?

You can embed a video in an HTML page using the

What are meta tags and why are they used in HTML?

Meta tags provide metadata about the HTML document. They are used to specify page description, keywords, author, last modified, and other metadata. The metadata can be used by browsers, search engines, and other web services.

At this point, a skilled HTML engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in HTML programming language, and knowledge of software development methodologies. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with standard coding practices.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with HTML.

What does the following HTML code do?




My First HTML Page


Hello World!

This HTML code defines a basic HTML document structure. It includes a declaration, HTML tags, head and body sections. The body contains a paragraph with the text 'Hello World!'.

What does the following HTML code do?

This HTML code inserts an image into the web page. The image source is 'myImage.jpg'. The 'alt' attribute provides alternative text for the image if it cannot be displayed. The width and height attributes specify the dimensions of the image.

What does the following HTML code do?


Item 1
Item 2
Item 3

This HTML code creates an unordered list with three list items.

What does the following HTML code do?

This HTML code creates a form that, when submitted, sends a POST request to the '/submit' URL. The form contains a text input field and a submit button.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for HTML Developer role questions

The final few questions should evaluate the candidate's teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, assess their knowledge of microservices architecture, serverless computing, and how they handle HTML application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

How would you make a website mobile-friendly using HTML?

You can make a website mobile-friendly using the viewport meta tag in HTML. It gives the browser instructions on how to control the page's dimensions and scaling. Also, using responsive images and CSS media queries can help to adjust the layout and content to fit different screen sizes.

What is the difference between HTML and XHTML?

HTML is a HyperText Markup Language, while XHTML is an eXtensible HyperText Markup Language. XHTML is a stricter and cleaner version of HTML. It requires all elements to be properly nested, to be closed, and to be in lowercase.

How would you use HTML to improve website SEO?

You can use HTML to improve website SEO by using semantic HTML tags that help search engines understand the content better, providing alt attributes for images, using meta tags to provide information about the webpage, and using heading tags to indicate the structure of the content.

HTML application related

Product Perfect's HTML development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your HTML engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in HTML projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

HTML Consultive assessments

HTML Application Conversion Assessment HTML Application Integration Assessment HTML Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom HTML development projects

Custom HTML App Conversion HTML Custom App Development Process App UI Design for HTML Facelifts

. Examples of inline elements include and .

Hiring guide for HTML Engineers

HTML Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

to

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the HTML engineer at this point.

HTML Consultive assessments

Custom HTML development projects