Techniques for WCAG 2.0

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# G141: Organizing a page using headings

## Applicability

Pages with content organized into sections.

This technique relates to:

- Success Criterion 2.4.10 (Section Headings)
  - How to Meet 2.4.10 (Section Headings)
  - Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.10 (Section Headings)

## Description

The objective of this technique is to ensure that sections have headings that identify them. Success Criterion 1.3.1 requires that the headings be marked such that they can be programmatically identified.

In HTML, this would be done using the HTML heading elements (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6). These allow user agents to automatically identify section headings. Other technologies use other techniques for identifying headers. To facilitate navigation and understanding of overall document structure, authors should use headings that are properly nested (e.g., h1 followed by h2, h2 followed by h2 or h3, h3 followed by h3 or h4, etc.).

## Examples

### Example 1: Headings used to organize an HTML page

A page on cooking techniques uses a h1 element for the overall title, and h2 elements for major sections on cooking with oil vs cooking with butter, and h3 elements for sub-sections on oil-cooking techniques.

Example Code:

    <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <head>
    <title>Cooking techniques</title>
    </head>
    <body>
    <h1>Cooking techniques</h1>
    ... some text here ...
    <h2>Cooking with oil</h2>
    ... text of the section ...
    <h3>Sautéeing</h3>
    ....
    <h3>Deep frying</h3>
    <h2>Cooking with butter</h2>
    ... text of the section ...
    </body>
    </html>

## Resources

Resources are for information purposes only, no endorsement implied.

- Quick tips for accessible headings

## Related Techniques

- H42: Using h1-h6 to identify headings

## Tests

### Procedure

1. Examine a page with content organized into sections.

2. Check that a heading for each section exists.

### Expected Results

- Check #2 is true.

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