Headings
Using headings wisely helps users understand the structure of your content and easily move to sections of interest.
What are headings?
Headings are words or short phrases that create the content hierarchy of a page and are used to separate sections of content. Headings describe the content that follows and create an outline for your document or web page. Not only are they invaluable for people using screen readers, they also assist sighted users.
Why are headings important?
Headings are one of the primary ways screen reader users navigate within a web page or document. A screen reader can announce all of the headings in a document, which lets users quickly skim the page in a similar way to how a visual reader might glance over the large bolded text on a page to identify the important words or ideas before starting to read in detail.
What is heading hierarchy?
- Heading hierarchy refers to nesting headings by their level. The most important heading is level 1 (<h1>), and the least important heading is level 6 (<h6>). Headings with an equal or higher level start a new section; headings with a lower level start new subsections that are part of the higher level section.
- Avoid skipping heading levels since it can be confusing to users. For example, make sure that a <h2> is not followed directly by an <h4>.
How do I add headings to my content?
Most content editing platforms provide easy-to-use options for adding headings. The following information will guide you in adding heading styles.
Example of correct heading structure.