Fix · Moderate · should fix soon
How to fix: missing H1 / wrong heading order
No H1 on the page, or multiple H1s, or skipped levels (H2 → H4). Screen readers navigate by heading. Hierarchy must reflect document structure.
- WCAG references
- 2.4.6, 1.3.1
- Severity
- Moderate
What it looks like in the wild
No H1 on the page, or multiple H1s, or skipped levels (H2 → H4).
The screen-reader user, keyboard user, or low-vision user encountering this issue does not get an error message. The page just stops working for them. Which is why this kind of bug rarely shows up in your error tracker; it shows up in support tickets, lawsuits, and abandoned conversions.
Why it fails WCAG
Screen readers navigate by heading. Hierarchy must reflect document structure.
Map this back to 2.4.6, 1.3.1 when you log the bug. Auditors and procurement teams expect that mapping; "broken" is not enough context.
The wrong pattern (avoid)
<div class="title-large">Pricing</div>
<h3>Free plan</h3>The right pattern (copy this)
<h1>Pricing</h1>
<h2>Free plan</h2>Notes from real audits
One H1 per page is the safe default.
Use the document outline tool in DevTools to inspect.
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