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Accessibilitymediumdocument-structure

Maintain logical heading order

rule · heading-order

Headings help users understand the structure of a page. Skipping heading levels can confuse users of assistive technology who rely on them for navigation, which is why this rule complements broader heading hierarchy checks.

Code Examples

Correct Implementation

HTML
<h1>Main Page Title</h1>
  <h2>Section One</h2>
    <h3>Sub-section A</h3>
  <h2>Section Two</h2>
    <h3>Sub-section B</h3>

Incorrect Implementation

HTML
<h1>Main Page Title</h1>
  <h3>Skipped a level!</h3>
    <h5>Skipped again!</h5>

Why It Matters

  • Navigation: Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from heading to heading.
  • Outlining: A correct hierarchy provides an accurate outline of the document content.
  • SEO: Search engines use heading structure to understand the importance and relationship of content.

Best Practices

✅ Start with <h1>: Each page should typically have one primary <h1> representing the main topic.

✅ Sequential Nesting: Only go down one level at a time (<h1> to <h2>, <h2> to <h3>).

✅ Styling != Structure: Don't choose a heading level based on its default font size. Use CSS to style headings while maintaining the correct semantic level.

❌ Don't use headings for styling: Don't use a heading tag just to make text bold or large if it isn't actually a section title.

Exceptions

  • Evaluate the rendered experience before treating a static-code smell as a blocker; interaction timing, browser behavior, and assistive technology output often determine severity.
  • Not every secondary accessibility issue deserves equal weight; prioritize the issue that most directly blocks perception, operation, or understanding.
  • Avoid adding redundant markup or ARIA solely to satisfy a rule when a simpler semantic implementation would eliminate the issue entirely.

Standards

  • Align the implementation with W3C WAI: WCAG Overview and verify the rendered experience, not only the source code.
  • Align the implementation with MDN: Accessibility and verify the rendered experience, not only the source code.

Verification

Automated Checks

  • Inspect the browser accessibility tree or accessibility pane for the relevant element, role, or accessible name.
  • Run an automated accessibility checker such as axe or Lighthouse where applicable.

Manual Checks

  • Test the affected UI with keyboard-only navigation and confirm the rule holds in the rendered experience.
  • Re-test one representative user flow with a screen reader if this rule affects a key interaction.