Hauptinhalts

Hauptinhalt is the German term for the central content of a document, article, or webpage. The genitive singular form is des Hauptinhalts, and the plural is Hauptinhalte. The form Hauptinhalts may appear only as a possessive/genitive form, but in stand-alone usage Hauptinhalt or Hauptinhalte are standard.

In practice, the Hauptinhalt represents the core information the audience seeks and is therefore distinguished from navigational elements, headers, footers, and side content. On a website, the Hauptinhalt corresponds to the main content area where the primary text, images, multimedia, and data are presented.

Structure and semantics play an important role in shaping the Hauptinhalt. Clear headings, well‑defined sections, and logical paragraphing help readers understand the central message. Semantic HTML elements such as main, article, and section support accessible navigation and search indexing, ensuring that the Hauptinhalt remains the focal point of the page’s information.

Accessibility and usability practices are closely tied to the Hauptinhalt. The main content region should be easily reachable by screen readers and keyboard users, often implemented as a landmark region or a clearly defined main container. Skip links and consistent layout improve the visibility of the Hauptinhalt across devices and assistive technologies.

Usage notes: do not confuse the Hauptinhalt with the Inhaltsverzeichnis (table of contents) or with supplementary side content. For multiple documents, the plural Hauptinhalte refers to several main contents. In everyday German, Hauptinhalt is preferred for the singular, while des Hauptinhalts denotes the genitive form.