Heading and landmark checker
Checks that pages have a clear heading outline, a main landmark and a way to skip repeated navigation.
What this check looks for
The audit runs this check with every other check, on the page as the browser renders it.
- Skipped heading levels
- Jumps such as h2 straight to h4 that break the outline screen reader users navigate by.
- Empty or missing headings
- Heading tags with no text, and pages with no h1.
- Missing landmarks
- Pages without a main region, or with navigation and footers that aren't marked up as such.
- No way to skip navigation
- No skip link and no landmarks that let keyboard users jump past repeated menus.
What a failure looks like
Content is wrapped in plain divs and the page title is styled text, so screen reader users can't jump to the content or scan the page.
<!-- Broken: no landmarks, heading is just bold text -->
<div class="content">
<div class="title">Our treatments</div>
</div><!-- Fixed: a main landmark and a real heading -->
<a class="skip-link" href="#main">Skip to content</a>
<main id="main">
<h1>Our treatments</h1>
</main>How it shows in AccessGuard
Each finding names the WCAG criterion, explains the problem in plain words and shows the element that fails, so a developer can find it on the page.
WCAG criteria
Findings from this check name one of these criteria. How much of each the audit can decide on its own:
| Criterion | Level | Automation |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships Headings, lists, tables, labels and landmarks in the markup are checked. Structure shown only visually needs a person. | A | Partly automated |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks | A | Partly automated |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels | AA | Partly automated |
What still needs a person
No automated tool can confirm these. AccessGuard marks related findings as Review, so nobody mistakes them for a pass.
- Whether heading text describes the section it introduces.
- Text that looks like a heading but isn't marked up as one.
- Whether landmarks are labelled well when a page has several of the same kind.
Questions
Is it a failure to skip heading levels?
Skipping a level is a common sign that the structure doesn't match the visual design, and it confuses people who navigate by headings. AccessGuard reports it so you can decide whether the outline needs fixing.
Does every page need one h1?
WCAG doesn't require exactly one, but a single h1 that names the page is the clearest pattern for screen reader users and search engines.
Do I need a skip link if I use landmarks?
Landmarks help screen reader users, but keyboard users without a screen reader can't jump to them. A visible skip link helps both groups.
Related checks and guides
- ARIA checker
Finds invalid roles and attributes, controls with no accessible name and ARIA that hides content people need.
- Link text checker
Finds links with no accessible name, vague text like "click here", and links that open new windows without warning.
- Keyboard and focus checker
Finds controls people can't reach by keyboard, focus styles that were removed, and focused elements hidden behind sticky headers.
- What Is WCAG? A Plain-English Guide to 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2
Guide
- Accessibility Audit Checklist: Step-by-Step WCAG 2.2 Guide
Guide
Check a client page for headings and landmarks issues
The free audit runs this check and every other one. Results in about a minute.