Titles & Headings

Titles and headings are key parts of digital content. They help organize information and make it easier for everyone to find what they need. Good titles and headings are especially important for people using assistive technologies, as they help with navigation and understanding. Plus, they improve the overall experience for all users by making content clear and easy to follow.

Basic Ideas to Learn

  • Organize with Headings: Use headings to break up your content into sections. This helps people see how information is arranged and makes it easier to navigate.
  • Keep It Consistent: Use the same style and format for headings across all your content. This helps create a smooth and familiar experience for users.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Bolded Text Isn't a Heading: Simply making text bold doesn't make it a heading. Use the heading styles provided in your software to ensure proper structure and accessibility.
  • Skipping Heading Levels: Avoid jumping from a main heading (like <h1><h1>) directly to a sub-subheading (like <h4><h4>). Keep your headings in order to maintain a logical flow.
  • Decorative Headings: Don't use headings just to decorate or emphasize text. They should serve a structural purpose, guiding readers through the content.
  • Large Blocks of Text: Headings should introduce sections, not be applied to large paragraphs or entire sections of text. A heading shoul not be a sentence.

Tips for Digital Formats

Best Practices

  • Use Headings for Structure, Not Decoration: Avoid using headings merely to style or emphasize text.
  • Avoid Large Text Blocks: Do not use headings on large blocks of text, as this can confuse the hierarchy.
  • Outline Format: Always start with a main heading (e.g., <h1>), followed by sub-headings (e.g., <h2>, <h3>) in a logical order.
  • Hierarchy: Use headings to indicate the relative importance of content.
  • Remember, you can move back up in your outline (e.g., from <h4> to <h2>) but cannot skip levels when moving down (e.g., from <h2><h2> to <h4>).
More Web Accessibility Guidance
  • Use Document Editor Styles: Before converting to PDF, apply heading styles in your document editor (e.g., Microsoft Word). This ensures the structure is retained.
  • Accessibility Features: Use bookmarks in PDFs to allow users to navigate quickly between sections.
More PDF Accessibility Guidance