Using Headings to Structure Content in an Accessible Way

When creating web pages, PDFs, or Word documents, one simple but powerful tool can make a big difference in usability and accessibility: headings.

What Are Headings?

Headings organize your content into clearly defined sections, giving users a quick overview of the page’s structure and helping them find the information they need more efficiently. Think of headings as the “outline” of your content.

Why Are Headings Important?

Headings improve both comprehension and navigation for all users:

For sighted users, headings create visual structure and help people quickly scan for the information they need.
For screen reader users, headings function like a table of contents. They can pull up a list of all headings on the page and skip directly to the section they’re interested in—saving time and improving access.

When used correctly, headings make content more inclusive and user-friendly for everyone.

Using Headings the Right Way

Headings should follow a logical structure using tags from Heading 1 (H1) through Heading 6 (H6), where:

H1 is the document title or web page title (used only once)
H2 introduces main topics
H3 introduces subtopics under an H2, and so on

It’s important to maintain this hierarchy—don’t skip heading levels just to make something look a certain way. Visual appearance can always be adjusted through styling without affecting the heading structure.

Example of Proper Heading Structure:

H1 – Page Title
- H2 – Main Topic
- H2 – Another Topic
  - H3 – Subtopic of the above
    - H4 – Further subtopic
- H2 – Next Main Topic

This structure helps everyone—especially screen reader users—understand how your content is organized.

Need Help?

We’ve pulled together a few helpful resources to guide you:

Using headings properly is a small step that makes a big difference in accessibility. If you need help reviewing a document or webpage, feel free to reach out or stop by a drop-in session.

Thanks for helping make our content more inclusive!