OpenA11y Evaluation Library

Page should have h1 element

Rule ID Heading 1
Conformance Recommended
Definition The page should contain at least one h1 element identifying and describing the main content of the page.
Purpose
  • An h1 heading provides an important navigation point for users of assistive technologies, allowing them to easily find the main content of the page.
  • An h1 heading is often also used in the banner of a web page to identify and describe the website.
  • Home pages of websites often have a variety of "main" sections (e.g. navigation links, news, calendars, ...) that could be considered having somewhat equal potential interest by a visitor, these sections could each be identified using h1 headings.
Conformance Recommended
WCAG Success Criteria

Success Criterion 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Headings
Rule Scope Page
First Step Yes
Techniques
  • Include an h1 element at the beginning of the main content.
  • The accessible name of the h1 element should describe the main content of the page.
  • The accessible name of the h1 element in the banner of the page, should identify and describe the website.
  • The h1 element should be visible graphically and to assistive technologies. It should not be hidden using CSS techniques.
Information Links