How to Set Up Accessible Headings

The Standard Requirement<\/h2>\r\n

In the latest update to the Israeli web accessibility standard, the requirement for accessible headings has been raised from Level AAA to Level AA. This means that a correct and clear heading hierarchy is now a mandatory requirement—not just an advanced recommendation. The change aims to reinforce the principle of clear, understandable content structure for all users, especially those using screen readers who rely on headings to navigate the page. This brings the Israeli standard closer to international guidelines and requires website owners to implement a logical, consistent, and accessible heading order.<\/p>\r\n

Visual Design of Headings<\/h2>\r\n

Headings hold tremendous importance in documents and particularly on websites. Beyond the fact that assistive technologies recognize heading tags and allow users to navigate between them (critical for people who are blind), headings enable us to scan content quickly and get a summary of the article or information we're presenting to visitors. Consider the image below: how long would it take you to scan the headings and understand how many there are?<\/p>\r\n

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There are 8 headings. Some of them are barely noticeable. Now the same question, looking at the next image:<\/p>\r\n

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There are 5 headings. I'm sure it took you less time to find all of them in the second image. When we design our content structure clearly—in this case, the headings—we allow our visitors to enjoy more and work much less to search for and find the content relevant to them. Make this a rule: use three different sizes for your three heading levels, with the main heading (H1) being the largest, the secondary level (H2) smaller than H1 but larger than the third level (H3).<\/p>\r\n

Heading Levels<\/h2>\r\n

There are 6 different heading levels, with H1 being the highest and H6 the lowest. One of the most critical rules is that there must be only one H1 heading per page. Some content writers don't use H1 at all, reserving it only for especially important articles and thereby increasing their significance.<\/p>\r\n

Heading Hierarchy – Maintaining Structure and Accessibility<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

To maintain an organized, easy-to-read, and accessible structure, you must follow a correct hierarchy between heading levels. This means never skip levels<\/strong>. For example, don't jump directly from an H2 heading to an H4 heading. In such cases, use an H3 heading first.<\/p>\r\n

However, you can<\/em> move back up the hierarchy<\/strong>—for instance, from H4 back to H2—as long as it follows the logical structure of your content. Maintaining the correct sequence helps both readers and assistive technologies (like screen readers) navigate and understand the article.<\/p>\r\n

Example of a Correct Hierarchical Structure:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

<h1>Main Heading<\/h1><\/code>
\n<h2>Subheading<\/h2><\/code>
\n<h2>Another Subheading<\/h2><\/code>
\n<h3>Sub-subheading<\/h3><\/code>
\n<h2>Additional Subheading<\/h2><\/code>
\n<h3>Another Sub-subheading<\/h3><\/code><\/p>\r\n

In particularly long articles, you can and should use lower-level headings—H4, H5, and even H6—as long as the logical sequence is preserved.<\/p>", How do you define accessible headings on a website?