Heading structure checker
Paste a URL to visualise the heading hierarchy and spot structural issues that affect accessibility and SEO.
Why Heading Structure Matters
Heading elements (h1-h6) define the structure of a web page. Screen reader users navigate by headings - an estimated 67.5% of screen reader users use headings as their primary way to find content (WebAIM Screen Reader Survey). A broken heading hierarchy makes navigation confusing or impossible for these users.
WCAG requirements for headings
WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) requires that heading structure conveys meaningful hierarchy. Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) requires headings to be descriptive. Together, these mean headings must be properly nested and accurately describe their sections.
Common heading issues
The most common issues are: skipped heading levels (jumping from h2 to h4), multiple h1 elements, empty headings (styled elements with no text), and using headings for visual styling rather than structure. All of these create barriers for assistive technology users and can also hurt SEO.
Headings and SEO
Search engines use heading structure to understand page content and topic hierarchy. A clean h1 → h2 → h3 structure helps Google understand your content, while broken hierarchy can dilute topical relevance. Scan your site to check heading structure across every page automatically.