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Digital Accessibility

Heading Level Skipped / Headings are not Structured

Skipped heading levels can create a confusing experience for screen reader users who depend on structured headings for navigation and orientation on a web page.

How to Fix Your Heading Order

Each heading included on your web page should be nested in the proper order. For instance, do not skip directly from a heading 3 to a heading 5 without a heading 4 nested between them. You can, however, jump back to a heading 3 from a heading 5. 

Screenshot of proper hierarchy in the CMS. The first heading is a Heading 3, with a Heading 4 nested within it. The Heading 4 has a Heading 5 nested within it.
Proper heading structure in the CMS.

If you have a skipped heading level on your page, you will need to either introduce your flagged heading level with its preceding heading level, or change the flagged heading level if possible. For example, if you have a heading level 4 that is flagged, then you will need to either add a heading level 3 before it or change your heading 4 to a heading 3 so that your heading order is logical for screen reader users.


Specific Heading Levels in Snippets

Some snippets in the CMS automatically present information using particular heading levels, and you cannot change the heading levels in these snippets. Refer to our Headings in the CMS guide for how to introduce each type of snippet.


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