# Garbage after “ Canonical HTML version: https://rocketvalidator.com/html-validation/garbage-after-x
> Attribution: Rocket Validator (https://rocketvalidator.com)
> License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
When the parser sees `` where the tag name immediately follows the slash with no spaces, invalid characters, or other unexpected content before the closing `>`. Anything else is considered "garbage" because it doesn't conform to the HTML syntax rules for end tags.
This error matters for several reasons. First, browsers enter error-recovery mode when they encounter malformed markup, and different browsers may recover differently, leading to inconsistent rendering. Second, assistive technologies like screen readers rely on a well-formed DOM tree, so malformed tags can disrupt accessibility. Third, what seems like a minor typo can cascade into larger parsing problems — the parser may misinterpret the document structure, causing elements to nest incorrectly or content to disappear.
Here are the most common causes of this error:
- **A space between the slash and the tag name:** `` instead of ``.
- **Trying to close a void element:** ``, ``, or ``. Void elements must not have end tags in HTML.
- **Accidental or malformed sequences:** ``, or `` in a paragraph when you meant to show it literally, instead of using `</div>`.
- **Typos or leftover characters:** `extra` or `` where stray characters follow the tag name.
To fix this error, inspect the line indicated by the validator and determine what you intended. If it should be a closing tag, correct the syntax. If it should be visible text, escape the `<` as `<`. If it's an attempt to close a void element, simply remove the end tag entirely.
## Examples
### Space inside the end tag
A space between `
Hello world.
Hello world.
```
### Trying to close a void element
Void elements like `br`, `hr`, `img`, and `input` must not have end tags:
```html
Line one.Line two.
Line one.
Line two.
```
### Unescaped markup in text content
If you want to display HTML code as readable text, escape the angle brackets:
```html
To close a paragraph, use
at the end.
To close a paragraph, use </p> at the end.
```
### Accidental or malformed sequences
Stray characters after `
I
I </3 cats
```
### Full document example
```html
Example
This has a bad closing tag.
Show code: in text.
```
```html
Example
This has a correct closing tag.
Show code: </div> in text.
```