Heading Structure

Heading Structure

Headings are navigation for screen reader users and cognitive signposts for everyone. A clear heading structure is the difference between content people can find and content people abandon.

Why This Matters

Screen reader users navigate by headings — they press a key to jump between headings the way sighted users scan a page visually. If your heading structure is broken, screen reader users are lost in a wall of undifferentiated text.

For people with cognitive disabilities, headings are the primary way they understand what content a page contains and where to find what they need.

Rules

One H1 Per Page

• The H1 is the page title — what this page is about
• It should match or closely relate to the page's title tag and the link that brought the user here
• Never use more than one H1 on a page

No Skipped Levels

• Go H1 → H2 → H3, never H1 → H3
• Skipping levels breaks screen reader navigation and confuses the document outline
• You can go back up: H3 → H2 is fine (starting a new section)

Headings Describe Content

• Headings are signposts, not decoration
• "Your Account Settings" not "Section 2"
• "Choose a Delivery Date" not "Step 3"
• A user should understand the page's content by reading only the headings

Headings Are Not Visual Styling

• Don't use a heading tag just to make text big or bold
• Don't skip heading tags and just style text to look like a heading
• The tag determines the structure; CSS determines the appearance
• If it looks like a heading but isn't one, screen reader users can't find it

Recommended Depth

• Most pages: H1 through H3 is sufficient
• Complex pages: H1 through H4 maximum
• If you need H5 or H6: the page is probably too complex — consider splitting it

Patterns

Article or Blog Post

H1: Article Title
  H2: First Major Section
    H3: Subsection
    H3: Subsection
  H2: Second Major Section
    H3: Subsection
  H2: Conclusion

Dashboard

H1: Dashboard Name
  H2: Summary / Key Metrics
  H2: Recent Activity
  H2: Tasks
  H2: Notifications

Form

H1: Form Title (e.g., "Apply for an Account")
  H2: Personal Information
  H2: Contact Details
  H2: Preferences
  H2: Review and Submit

Settings Page

H1: Settings
  H2: Profile
  H2: Notifications
  H2: Privacy
  H2: Billing

Assessment Checklist

• Exactly one H1 per page
• No skipped heading levels
• Headings describe the content beneath them
• Heading tags are used for structure, not visual styling
• A user reading only headings would understand the page
• Heading depth does not exceed H4