What is header and footer? Easily explained
If you try to create your own homepage, you will find the terms header and footer. In this practical tip we explain what that is and what you need a header or footer for.
Header - the head of a website
In the web design, "header" means the header area of an HTML document. This can hide a menu or just an image that represents the website:
- On the screenshot you can see the header of CHIP Online - it is the red ribbon with different categories.
- The header is always at the top of a website. In some cases there is an advertising banner above the header that does not belong to the actual page.
- In forums, the header usually only consists of an image that is linked to the homepage. For example, if you click on the header of the Katzenfreunde-Forum, you will get back to the overview of the page.
The counterpart to the header: the footer
The footer or footer of a website is the opposite of the header. Most of the time, further links are placed here that are less relevant for the visitor or are only on the website for legal reasons.
- On the picture you can see the footer of this CHIP online page. This hides, for example, links to the imprint and the usage instructions that do not contribute to the actual content. You are on the website primarily for legal reasons.
- If you operate a private homepage, you can also consider the footer as a pure design object. Otherwise, the footer allows you to place links to any page or to repeatedly integrate a menu.
To use headers and footers correctly, you need some knowledge of HTML and CSS. We will explain the differences between HTLM and CSS in another article. If you are not familiar with such markup languages, you can create a website without any previous knowledge. Content management systems such as WordPress, Typo3 or Joomla will help you with this.