OpenA11y Evaluation Library

h1 should be in main or banner landmark

Rule ID Heading 2
Conformance Recommended
Definition If the page contains h1 element and either a main or banner landmark, the h1 element should be a child of either the main or banner landmark.
Purpose
  • An h1 heading should primarily be used to identify the content on the specific page within the website and be placed at the beginning of the main content to provide an important navigation point for users of assistive technologies, allowing them to easily find the main content of the page.
  • An h1 heading can also be used (but not required) to provide a label for the website and when it is used for this purpose it should be placed in the banner element.
  • Including both a main landmark and an h1 element provides a redundant way for users of assistive technologies to find the main content of a web page.
Conformance Recommended
WCAG Success Criteria

Success Criterion 2.4.6 Headings and Labels

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Headings
Rule Scope Element
First Step no
Techniques
  • This rule supports the coding practice of reserving the h1 element for titling the main content area of a web page.
  • Include an h1 element at the beginning of each main landmark.
  • The h1 element should describe the main content or purpose of the page.
  • If there is more than one main landmark, use the aria-labelledby attribute on each to reference an h1 element that provides its accessible name.
  • An h1 element being used to label the the website must be placed inside the banner element.
Information Links