Use descriptive, sequential headings

Updated

Use clear and sequential heading hierarchy to support accessibility on your site.

Unstructured web content is overwhelming and unusable for everyone, but especially for people who use screen readers and/or have cognitive disabilities. Headings organize content and guide readers through your site. 

Your headings should make it easy to skim a page and get a clear purpose and overview of content without having to read body copy. 

Best practices

Don’t:

  • Use heading levels to show visual differences
  • Use heading text just to be compliant — make sure it’s useful 

Do:

  • Use one H1 per page that describes its purpose (or only use multiple H1s when a page truly has more than one purpose)
  • Nest headings in sequential order (e.g., H3 under H2)

Learn more about organizing your content with headings.

WCAG Reference: Success Criterion 2.4.6: Headings and Labels