Analyze any webpage's heading hierarchy for accessibility and SEO issues. Detect skipped levels, multiple h1 tags, and empty headings against WCAG 1.3.1.
Heading hierarchy is critical for screen reader users who navigate pages by jumping between headings. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) requires that heading levels convey the document structure programmatically. When headings skip levels (e.g., jumping from h1 to h3), assistive technology users lose context about how content is organized, making the page harder to understand and navigate.
The most common heading structure issues include: (1) Skipping heading levels, such as going from h2 directly to h4. (2) Using multiple h1 tags on a single page, which confuses the document outline. (3) Using headings for visual styling rather than semantic structure, like making text an h3 just because it looks the right size. (4) Empty heading elements that exist in the HTML but contain no text. (5) Starting with h2 or lower instead of h1 as the page title.
To fix heading hierarchy issues: (1) Ensure each page has exactly one h1 that describes the page topic. (2) Nest headings sequentially — h2 sections under h1, h3 subsections under h2, and so on. (3) Never skip levels; if you need an h4, make sure there is an h3 parent above it. (4) Use CSS classes for visual sizing instead of choosing heading levels based on appearance. (5) Remove or add content to empty heading elements. (6) Use this tool to verify your fixes.
Yes, heading structure directly impacts SEO. Search engines use headings to understand page content and topic hierarchy. A well-structured heading outline helps Google identify the main topic (h1), key sections (h2), and subtopics (h3+). Pages with proper heading hierarchy tend to rank better because they are clearer to both users and crawlers. Additionally, heading text is weighted more heavily than body text for keyword relevance.
A heading checker analyzes one aspect of your page — the heading hierarchy and structure. A full UX audit, like those provided by VertaaUX, automatically scans your entire site for dozens of accessibility, usability, and performance issues including heading structure, color contrast, link text, image alt text, form labels, WCAG 2.2 compliance, and more. Use a heading checker for quick spot-checks, and a full audit for comprehensive coverage.
A heading checker is great for spot checks. To audit every accessibility criterion across your whole site for WCAG 2.2 compliance, run a free UX audit with VertaaUX.
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