HTML: the br element

The <br> element inserts a line break where the break is part of the content's meaning.

Meaningful line breaks

<p>Yugien Support<br>1-2 Example Street<br>Tokyo</p>

An address, a poem, or a postal label can need line breaks that are part of how the content is read. In those cases, <br> expresses the content's structure.

Use paragraphs for paragraphs

<p>This is the first paragraph.</p>
<p>This is the second paragraph.</p>

Do not insert several <br> elements to create space between paragraphs. Use separate paragraphs and control their margins with CSS.

Do not use it for layout

p {
  margin-block: 1rem;
  line-height: 1.6;
}

CSS can adapt spacing to different screen sizes and user preferences. Repeated line breaks make content harder to maintain and can create an awkward reading experience.

Common mistakes

• Using <br> repeatedly to imitate a paragraph.
• Adding breaks inside a heading to force a visual shape.
• Using breaks instead of list, table, or address structure when the content has a clearer element.
• Forgetting that the line break changes how the content is read.