WCAG 2.4.6 — Headings and Labels, explained with examples

Why this criterion exists

Generic headings like "Section 1" or labels like "Field" force users to read the content beneath to find context. Descriptive text accelerates navigation for everyone.

If you only remember one thing: headings and labels must describe the topic or purpose of the content they introduce. Everything else on this page is detail.

Who feels it when this fails

Accessibility criteria sometimes feel abstract until you see who pays the cost when a site ignores them. Headings and Labels affects:

• Screen reader users

• Users with cognitive disabilities scanning for landmarks

How sites typically fail it

These are the patterns we see week after week. None are intentional — they are accidents of how teams build interfaces under deadline. Knowing the failure modes is the fastest path to writing them out of your component library.

• Generic headings ("Welcome", "Section")

• Form labels reading "Field 1"

How to test for it

• Read headings and labels alone; they should still mean something.

A code fix you can copy

Be specific. Headings and labels should describe purpose, not position.

<h2>Welcome</h2><label>Email</label>

<h2>Reset your password</h2>
<label for="email">Email address we will send the reset link to</label>

Other Operable criteria