EndTag

EndTag, also called a closing tag, is a component of markup languages that marks the end of an element. It appears after the content enclosed by a start tag and helps define the element’s boundaries within the document.

The syntax is </elementName>, with a leading slash inside angle brackets. In HTML, tag names are case-insensitive; in XML they are case-sensitive, requiring exact matching of start and end tag names.

Example: <p>Hello</p>.

In HTML, many elements are void or self-closing and do not require an end tag. Historically, some content could be implicitly closed by following start tags. In HTML5, end tags are optional for certain elements, but when present, they must correctly correspond to the most recently opened element.

In XML and other rigorously defined markup languages, end tags are mandatory. The end tag’s name must match the corresponding start tag. End tags do not contain attributes.

End tags are important for document structure and for parsers and DOM trees, helping to determine nesting and where an element ends. Mismatched or missing end tags can lead to parsing errors or malformed documents.

See also: Start tag, Self-closing tag, Empty element, Void element.