Descriptive, correctly used headings help users quickly understand a web page’s content. A heading is a category of information on a web page; you can think about them like titles and subtitles. Unique, concise headings help users with disabilities quickly understand a web page’s purpose and are critical to users with visual disabilities because they are always the first page element announced by screen-reading software.
- When you add headings for sections of content, make sure they’re identified as headings. Use heading levels in a hierarchical pattern (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc).
- There should only be one Heading 1 on a page, which is sometimes also called the “title” section of the page.
- Use the preset options in Site Manager to do this.
Dos and Don'ts
DO: Describe what’s on the page clearly and concisely.
DON’T: Use jargon and complex words the average person wouldn’t understand, or go on and on and on and on and on.
WebAIM WAVE Accessibility Tool
Not sure your headings are in the correct order? Use the WAVE web accessibility tool. It installs easily in your browser and can tell you if a webpage meets accessibility guidelines in numerous ways.