How to write accessible web content

Headings in web content

Use meaningful headings to structure and split up information so it's easier to scan.

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Why headings help

Headings describe content. They break up, structure and organise content into sections and subsections.

Headings help:

  • sighted readers quickly skim pages to find what they need
  • users with learning disabilities or memory challenges follow the flow of content
  • screen reader and other assistive technology users skip through sections of content quicker
  • search engines and AI tools scan content more easily

When used correctly, headings help those who can and cannot see a screen find information faster.

Make headings accessible

Headings must be made accessible to everyone who uses them.

For sighted users, headings must visually look different by making text bigger, bold and sometimes a different font to normal text.

For those who cannot see a page, headings must have special tags for digital tools to understand them. A screen reader, for example, can list tagged headings like a table of contents and quickly skip through sections.

Creating headings as a web editor

The visual look of headings on a web page is usually pre-set by a website's developer.

Web editors must apply correct heading tags and structure to content so digital tools, like screen readers, can understand them.     

If you are a web editor, learn how to do this at How to make web pages accessible.

Creating headings as a document author

Authors who publish digital documents meant for online reading must add both visual styling and heading tags to headings.

In Microsoft Word, you can do this using the heading levels provided in the 'Styles' panel. 

If you are a document author, learn how to do this at How to make Word documents accessible.

Headings in PDFs

A PDF, or Portable Document Format, is not designed to be flexible for online reading. This can cause access barriers for users.

If you create a PDF document, make sure your headings are accessible.

Most authors do not have access to the special paid software needed to do this after a PDF has been created. So, we recommend you create an accessible source document using heading styles, usually in Word, and export it to a tagged PDF.

We explain how to do this in How to make Word documents accessible

Write, structure and present headings clearly

Writing good headings takes practice and judgement. Here's what we recommend to help.

Do:

  • keep it short (under 60 characters)
  • be clear and descriptive
  • use active language and plain English
  • put important words early (front-load)
  • use sentence case (except for proper nouns) - 'This is sentence case' and 'This is Title Case'
  • use words people would use to search for the topic

Avoid:

  • unhelpful headings like ‘Learn more’
  • unnecessary jargon (professional language) or technical language
  • abbreviations or acronyms unless well known, like UK, EU or NHS
  • 'Introduction’ as your first heading - just give the information
  • end punctuation like full stops or colons unless required for meaning, like a question
  • questions (where possible) - people want answers, not questions

You do not always need text between headings. For example, users expect to go from heading 1, normally the page title, to heading 2 without any text between. But sometimes, adding text between headings gives helpful context.

Structuring and presenting your headings

Try to avoid more than 3 heading levels (4 max). If you use more, it's a sign your heading structure is too complex.

Do:

  • plan a clear, logical structure for sections and sub-sections
  • use tagged or coded headings, like Microsoft heading styles or pre-set heading levels in website editors
  • start at heading 2 in web page content -- h1 is usually the page title
  • start at heading 1 in document content (the main title), then heading 2 and 3 for sections and subsections, like chapters in a book
  • make all headings at the same level look the same (font, size and colour)

Do not use:

  • visual-only styling like all caps, bold, underline or italics to show a heading
  • skipped headings, like going from H1 to H4 because you think it looks better 
  • more than one heading level 1 in documents (in most cases)
  • images of text (image banners) for headings instead of real text

Related resources

Guidance on writing headings

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines