Deep Dive: Headings

Purpose and Benefits of Headings

Descriptive headings organize content in a logical manner. By incorporating headings, materials are made accessible to people using screen readers, users who read slowly, and users with limited short-term memory. Headings allow the user to predict the content of each section, reducing cognitive load. See WCAG’s Benefits page for more information.

Detailed Questions and Answers

Does my page have headings?

All pages should have at least one heading level (the page title). More complex pages should have additional heading levels to organize content in a logical manner.

Is there only one h1 per page?

The h1 element is the high-level overview of the entire page’s contents - similar to a chapter title or the name of an individual webpage (not a website). People using a screen reader to navigate will rely on the predictability of a single h1 element on each page to help orient themselves to the space. If there are multiple h1 elements, a user may have difficult navigating back to the beginning of the page and can easily lose their place.

Can I easily scan the text of my heading levels?

Headings should be a summary of the material, not a repetition. Although there’s no specific word limit for a heading, skimming your heading level text can be a quick check to ensure your ideas are organized logically and efficiently.

Do the heading levels skip unexpectedly?

Heading levels should be organized like a standard outline. You can have as many sub-headings as you want under a specific heading level, but you shouldn’t skip levels.

Document-Specific Instructions

Word

PDF

Tools

• headingsMap - bookmarklet that will generate a documentmap of any web document

Resources

• A11y overview of Headings

• WCAG 2.2 AA documentation