If you’ve ever been frustrated by the slow pace of change in HTML compared to JavaScript or CSS, you’re not alone. But there’s a good reason for this deliberate approach. Unlike JavaScript frameworks that update every few months, HTML forms the foundation of the web—and every single website in the world depends on it.
As Chris Coyier put it on the Pod Rocket podcast:
“Every single website in the entire world uses HTML. It’s not optional.”
Let’s dive into why HTML evolves at a measured pace, how its resilience keeps the web stable, and why this is ultimately a good thing for developers.
The “Pace Layers” of Web Technologies
To understand why HTML evolves slowly, let’s introduce a concept called pace layers—a term originally used in architecture but highly relevant to web development.
Think of the web as a multi-layered system:
- Fast-moving layers: JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Svelte evolve quickly, introducing new patterns and tools every few months.
- Medium-paced layers: CSS sits in the middle, evolving faster than HTML but still cautiously (e.g., recent additions like
container queriestook years to finalize). - Slow-moving foundation: HTML, along with HTTP and URLs, forms the bedrock of the web. It must evolve slowly because any major disruption could break millions of sites.
Why This Matters
Imagine if HTML changed as rapidly as JavaScript frameworks. Every time a new version was released, older websites might stop functioning, and developers would be forced to rewrite their markup constantly. Instead, HTML prioritizes stability, ensuring that even sites built decades ago still render correctly in modern browsers.
Backwards Compatibility: HTML’s Superpower
One of HTML’s core principles is backwards compatibility. Unlike JavaScript, which throws errors when something goes wrong, HTML is designed to be forgiving.
As Chris Coyier put it:
“There is no throwing in HTML. The browser is just gonna crank through that thing and try to figure out the best thing to do.”
How HTML Handles Errors Gracefully
Let’s say you make a typo in JavaScript:
console.log(myVariable); // Throws an error if myVariable is undefined
Your script will fail, potentially breaking functionality on the page. But if you make a typo in an HTML tag:
<p>This is a paragraph</mistake>
The browser won’t crash. Instead, it will do its best to interpret the code and continue rendering the page. This resilience is crucial because it ensures that web pages keep working, even if there are minor mistakes in the code.
Why This Is Important for Developers
- Old websites remain functional: Sites built in the 90s and early 2000s still work today, even if they use outdated HTML.
- Gradual adoption of new features: Browsers don’t force developers to immediately update their markup. Instead, they introduce features in a way that allows for smooth transitions.
- No versioning headaches: Unlike JavaScript, where different versions of frameworks may introduce breaking changes, HTML doesn’t have version numbers like “HTML6.” It just adds new capabilities without removing old ones.
Opt-In Features: A Smarter Way to Introduce Change
Because HTML is designed to be stable, new features are often introduced as opt-in—meaning they won’t automatically affect existing websites.
Example: The appearance: base-select CSS Property
Traditionally, styling a <select> dropdown was tricky because browsers imposed their own styles. With the new appearance: base-select property, developers can opt in to control the styling of a select dropdown without affecting existing designs:
select {
appearance: base-select;
border: 2px solid #333;
padding: 8px;
}
This ensures that older websites remain unaffected while giving developers more flexibility when they choose to use the new feature.
Why This Approach Works Well
- Prevents breaking changes for existing sites.
- Gives developers more control over styling and behavior.
- Encourages gradual adoption of new features instead of forcing updates.
The Balance Between Stability and Innovation
While HTML evolves slowly, it does evolve—just in a way that prioritizes stability. Some recent additions, like the <dialog> element for accessible modals or the new <search> element for better semantic markup, show that progress is happening.
Developers sometimes wish for faster innovation, but the trade-off for HTML’s measured pace is a web that works for everyone, regardless of their device, browser, or coding skills.
Key Takeaways
✅ HTML evolves slowly to maintain backwards compatibility and avoid breaking the web.
✅ Its resilience ensures pages keep working, even with minor errors.
✅ Opt-in features like appearance: base-select allow controlled adoption of new capabilities.
✅ The web needs both stability (HTML) and innovation (JavaScript/CSS) to thrive.
Coming Up Next: The Rise of New Semantic Elements
In the next post of this series, we’ll explore new HTML elements like <search> and how they improve accessibility, SEO, and developer experience. Stay tuned!
What do you think about HTML’s slow evolution? Do you prefer stability or faster innovation? Drop a comment below! 🚀