Learn web development

Complete beginner

If you are a complete beginner to web development, we’d recommend that you start by working through our Getting started with the web module, which provides a practical introduction to web development.

Beyond the basics

If you have a bit of knowledge already, the next step is to learn HTML and CSS in detail: start with our Introduction to HTML module and move on to our CSS first steps module.

Moving onto scripting

If you are comfortable with HTML and CSS already, or you are mainly interested in coding, you’ll want to move on to JavaScript or server-side development. Begin with our JavaScript first steps and Server-side first steps modules.

Frameworks and tooling

After mastering the essentials of vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you should learn about client-side web development tools, and then consider digging into client-side JavaScript frameworks, and server-side website programming.

The following is a list of all the topics we cover in the MDN learning area.

Getting started with the web

Provides a practical introduction to web development for complete beginners.

HTML — Structuring the web

HTML is the language that we use to structure the different parts of our content and define what their meaning or purpose is. This topic teaches HTML in detail.

CSS — Styling the web

CSS is the language that we can use to style and layout our web content, as well as adding behavior like animation. This topic provides comprehensive coverage of CSS.

JavaScript — Dynamic client-side scripting

JavaScript is the scripting language used to add dynamic functionality to web pages. This topic teaches all the essentials needed to become comfortable with writing and understanding JavaScript.

Web forms — Working with user data

Web forms are a potent tool for interacting with users — most commonly, they are used for collecting data from users, or allowing them to control a user interface. In the articles listed below, we’ll cover all the essential aspects of structuring, styling, and interacting with web forms.

Accessibility — make the web usable by everyone

Accessibility is the practice of making web content available to as many people as possible regardless of disability, device, locale, or other differentiating factors. This topic gives you all you need to know.

Web Performance — making websites fast and responsive

Web performance is the art of making sure web applications download fast and are responsive to user interaction, regardless of a user’s bandwidth, screen size, network, or device capabilities.

Tools and testing

This topic covers the tools developers use to facilitate their work, such as cross-browser testing tools, linters, formatters, transformation tools, version control systems, deployment tools, and client-side JavaScript frameworks.

Server-side website programming

Even if you are concentrating on client-side web development, it is still useful to know how servers and server-side code features work. This topic provides a general introduction to how the server-side works and detailed tutorials showing how to build up a server-side app using two popular frameworks: Django (Python) and Express (Node.js).

The code examples you’ll encounter in the Learning Area are all available on GitHub. If you want to copy them all to your computer, the easiest way is to download a ZIP of the latest master code branch.

If you prefer to copy the repo in a more flexible way that allows for automatic updates, you can follow the more complex instructions:

1. Install Git on your machine. This is the underlying version control system software that GitHub works on top of.
2. Open your computer’s command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Linux, macOS).
3. To copy the learning area repo to a folder called learning-area in the current location your command prompt/terminal is pointing to, use the following command:

   git clone https://github.com/mdn/learning-area
   

   Copy to Clipboard

4. You can now enter the directory and find the files you are after (either using your Finder/File Explorer or the cd command).

You can update the learning-area repository with any changes made to the master version on GitHub with the following steps:

1. In your command prompt/terminal, go inside the learning-area directory using cd. For example, if you were in the parent directory:

   cd learning-area
   

   Copy to Clipboard

2. Update the repository using the following command:

   git pull

   Copy to Clipboard

If you want to get in touch with us about anything, the best way is to drop us a message on our Discourse forum. We’d like to hear from you about anything you think is wrong or missing on the site, requests for new learning topics, requests for help with items you don’t understand, or any other questions or concerns.

If you’re interested in helping develop/improve the content, take a look at how you can help and get in touch! We are more than happy to talk to you, whether you are a learner, teacher, experienced web developer, or someone else interested in helping to improve the learning experience.

Mozilla developer newsletter

Our newsletter for web developers, which is an excellent resource for all levels of experience.

Learn JavaScript

An excellent resource for aspiring web developers — Learn JavaScript in an interactive environment, with short lessons and interactive tests, guided by automated assessment. The first 40 lessons are free, and the complete course is available for a small one-time payment.

Web demystified

A great series of videos explaining web fundamentals, aimed at absolute beginners to web development. Created by Jérémie Patonnier.

Codecademy

A great interactive site for learning programming languages from scratch.

BitDegree

Basic coding theory with a gamified learning process. Mainly focused on beginners.

Code.org

Basic coding theory and practice, primarily aimed at children/complete beginners.

EXLskills

Free and open courses for learning tech skills, with mentorship and project-based learning.

freeCodeCamp.org

Interactive site with tutorials and projects to learn web development.

Web literacy map

A framework for entry-level web literacy and 21st-century skills, which also provides access to teaching activities sorted by category.

Edabit

Thousands of interactive JavaScript challenges.