Does your website use valid HTML code?
W3C Markup Validation is a free tool you can use to validate your website’s HTML code. If you are using an out-of-the-box WordPress template with a mixture of plugins, chances are there will be validation issues on your website.
Why worry about making your code valid? Browsers and robots are smart enough to handle errors. Not always, especially with AI bots.
Valid HTML code follows standardized syntax and structure. This allows robots and browsers to render pages more efficiently. When browsers and robots encounter invalid or malformed code, they need to make assumptions or perform error handling. That can slow down page loading.
Invalid code can also cause rendering issues where the page is broken. In the most extreme cases, this can prevent robots (or browsers) from being able to see any content on the page. In less extreme cases, it might simply be more difficult to see some of the page’s content. If a robot can’t render the page, that page will have a harder time ranking in search results.
As well, valid code is more future-proof. Making your HTML code valid means that your website will align with the web standards and best practices that browsers and robots are building toward. That includes aligning with standards used by assistive technology, such as screen readers. As a result, valid HTML code is part of making your website accessible.
In short, using valid HTML code makes your website better. It can be hard to make your code valid and may require wrestling with uncooperative plugins or templates. But it is worth it to create a more efficient, accessible, and SEO-friendly website.