Heading structure: how H1–H6 help accessibility and SEO

Screen-reader users often jump from heading to heading to skim a page, the way sighted visitors scan bold titles. Search engines also use headings to understand your content.

Rules of thumb

• One H1 per page that says what the page is about.
• H2 for main sections, H3 for sub-sections inside an H2. Don't skip from H2 to H4.
• Choose the level for structure, then style its size with CSS or your builder's typography settings.
• Don't use headings just for big text, and don't use bold paragraphs where a real heading belongs.

Example outline

H1 Family Dentistry in Springfield
  H2 Our services
    H3 Check-ups and cleaning
    H3 Whitening
  H2 Meet the team
  H2 Book an appointment

How to check

Free browser extensions such as HeadingsMap or WAVE show your outline. Our free snapshot flags skipped heading levels too.

Related guides

• Restaurant menus and PDFs: making them accessible online
• Squarespace vs Wix vs WordPress vs Shopify: accessibility compared
• Free website accessibility checkers compared
• Accessible links and buttons: fix “click here” and empty icon links

All guides

Check your own site

Run a free homepage snapshot to see your top 3 issues, or order the $149 Fix-Pack for up to 10 pages with copy-paste fixes.