HTML Level 1 and 2 Manual

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<P> Element

Category: Text Blocks
Period: HTML 1 / HTML 2.0
Status: core

Description

Begins a paragraph.

Syntax

<P>Paragraph text

Attributes

None in strict HTML 2.0.

Usage Guidelines

• In HTML, P commonly marked the start of a paragraph rather than wrapping it.
• Use P for prose, not for each line of an address or poem.
• Do not stack many empty P tags to force vertical space.
• When converting files, be careful: many documents omit the closing tag.

Common Mistakes

• Line breaks are collapsed inside P; use PRE if spacing must be preserved.

Example Code

<P>This is the first paragraph.
<P>This is the second paragraph.

Authoring Note

Write the document first, then test it in a graphical browser and a text browser. The page should remain understandable if images fail, colours are ignored, or the browser uses its own fonts.

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