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Validate HTML Markup

Whether you are creating a new site or are working with an exisiting site, you should validate the HTML markup of your webpages to make sure they are free of errors. A site free of errors will work better across different browsers and devices, and it will have better search engine optimization. There are several validator tools available free online, but we recommend using the W3C Markup Validation Service. Follow the steps below to validate a webpage.

1. Go to http://validator.w3.org
2. Choose the method to submit your HTML code, by clicking one of the three tabs:
   • Validate by URI:
     
     1. Great for live webpages.
     2. Paste your website address in the window. For example, the image above shows this site's homepage URI pasted in the window.
     3. Click the Check button.
   • Validate by File Upload:
     
     1. Use this method to test an HTML file before you publish it.
     2. Click the Choose File button
     3. A new window will open.
     4. Navigate to the file you would like to validate.
     5. Click the Check button.
   • Validate by Direct Input:
     
     1. Test your HTML markup by typing in the code directly in the window.
     2. Click the Check button.
3. Review the errors and warnings. Click the Message Filtering button to hide ahd show particular messages.


4. Fix the errors on your webpage or work with your webmaster to fix errors and warnings.