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Notepad: Your Built-In Code Editor

It's already on your computer — and it's all you need to write your first website.

What is Notepad?

Notepad is a plain-text editor built directly into Windows. It has been included with every version of Windows since 1985 and costs absolutely nothing. Because it saves files as plain text with no hidden formatting, it is perfect for writing HTML, CSS, and simple JavaScript.

Professional developers use powerful editors like VS Code, but for a beginner building their first site, Notepad removes every barrier — no download, no account, no cost.

How to Open Notepad

There are three easy ways to launch Notepad on any Windows computer:

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Search Bar (Fastest)
Press the Windows key, type notepad, and press Enter.
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File Explorer Right-Click
Right-click any blank space in a folder → New → Text Document. Rename it to index.html.
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Run Dialog
Press Win + R, type notepad, press Enter.

Writing Your First HTML File

Once Notepad is open, type (or paste) the HTML below and then save it as index.html — make sure to change the file type from Text Documents (*.txt) to All Files when saving, otherwise Windows will add .txt to the end.

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>My First Site</title> </head> <body> <h1>Hello, World!</h1> <p>Welcome to my website.</p> </body> </html>
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After saving, double-click the file in File Explorer — it will open directly in your browser so you can see your page.

Useful Notepad Settings

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Turn on Status Bar
Go to View → Status Bar. This shows your cursor's current line and column number — useful for debugging HTML errors.
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Turn on Word Wrap
Go to Format → Word Wrap so long lines don't scroll off screen.
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Change the Font
Go to Format → Font and set it to Consolas or Courier New at 12pt for a cleaner coding look.

When Should I Upgrade from Notepad?

Notepad is perfect for learning the fundamentals. Once you're comfortable with HTML and CSS and want to move faster, consider upgrading to Notepad++ (free, Windows) or Visual Studio Code (free, all platforms). Both add syntax highlighting, auto-indenting, and error hints — but they're not necessary to start.

Continue to the Beginner's Guide →