


What are the best HTML tags to use for structuring a single-page application?
Jun 26, 2025 am 01:08 AMWhen building a single-page application (SPA), using semantic HTML remains crucial despite JavaScript-driven interactivity. 1. Use the
When building a single-page application (SPA), it’s easy to overlook the importance of semantic HTML in favor of JavaScript-driven interactivity. But using the right HTML tags still matters — for accessibility, SEO, and long-term maintainability. Here's how to structure your SPA with meaningful HTML.

Use <main></main>
for the Primary Content Area
The <main></main>
tag clearly defines the main content of your page, which helps screen readers and search engines understand what the core of your page is about. In an SPA, this area often changes dynamically without full page reloads, so it's especially important to keep it semantically marked up.

-
<li>Wrap each major view or route in a
<main></main>
tag.
<li>Make sure only one <main></main>
appears per "page" state.
<li>Combine with aria-live
regions or role="region"
if content updates dynamically and needs to be announced.
This keeps things clean and ensures assistive technologies can follow along as users navigate your app.
Structure Navigation with <nav></nav>
Even though SPAs often use JavaScript to handle navigation, wrapping your links in a <nav></nav>
element tells both browsers and screen readers that this is a key navigation section.

-
<li>Use
<ul></ul>
and <li>
inside <nav></nav>
for consistency and accessibility.
<li>Apply aria-current="page"
on the active link so screen readers announce it properly.
<li>Avoid overusing <nav></nav>
— just one or two per page is usually enough.
For example:
<nav> <ul> <li><a href="#home" aria-current="page">Home</a></li> <li><a href="#about">About</a></li> </ul> </nav>
This kind of structure makes your SPA feel more like a traditional site, even though it's dynamic under the hood.
Use <section>
, <article>
, and <aside>
to Organize Content
These tags help break down your layout into logical blocks. Even if your SPA doesn’t have multiple pages, organizing content into sections improves readability and semantics.
- <li>Use
<section>
for grouped content that shares a common theme or heading.<li>Use <article>
when displaying self-contained content like blog posts or cards.<li>Use <aside>
for side content like ads, related links, or footnotes.In an SPA dashboard, for instance, you might have:
<section> <h2>User Stats</h2> <!-- stats go here --> </section> <aside> <p>Need help? <a href="#support">Contact support</a></p> </aside>
This gives your layout meaning beyond just visual grouping.
Wrap-Up
Choosing the right HTML tags in a single-page app isn’t about strict rules — it’s about making your content understandable, accessible, and future-proof. You don’t need to overdo it, but using <main></main>
, <nav></nav>
, <section>
, <article>
, and <aside>
appropriately goes a long way.
That’s basically it — not flashy, but solid.
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