Accessibility FAQs: Heading and Structure

1. Why is heading structure important?

Headings are not just for visual styling (making text bigger/bolder). They provide the logical outline of your document.

  1. Screen reader users use headings to skim a page, "jumping" from H2 to H2 to find the section they want.

  2. Search engines use them to understand your content hierarchy.

2. What are the rules for using Headings (H1, H2, H3) in WordPress?

  • Never Skip Levels: Do not jump from an H2 to an H4 just because you like the smaller font size of the H4. You must go sequentially: H1 → H2 → H3 → H2 → H3 → H4. Skipping levels breaks the "map" of the page.

  • Only One H1: Every page must have exactly one H1, which is the main title of the page. Web services has set this automatically. Site editors will have access to H2 → H6 in the editor. 

  • Use them for Structure, Not Style: If you just want text to look big, use the "paragraph" block and apply a bold style or change the text size in the block settings, rather than turning it into an inappropriate heading.