Published October 29, 2026
WCAG 2.4.6 Headings and Labels, Level AA
Does WCAG require headings on every page?
Not as a rule that every page must contain a heading. Success criterion 2.4.6 Headings and Labels is Level AA. When headings or labels are used, they must describe topic or purpose. An empty heading, a placeholder such as “Heading,” or a heading that does not match the section fails. The text is in the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation.
What does a descriptive heading do?
It tells a person what the section is about before they read it. The W3C explanation is in Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.6. Labels on form controls follow the same idea: the label must describe the purpose of the control. How accessible names are built is covered on the accessible names page. The document title in the browser tab is a different rule, covered on the page title page.
How does heading structure relate to 1.3.1?
Success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships is Level A. Information and relationships that are conveyed through presentation must also be programmatically determinable. When headings convey the outline of the page, they need real heading markup, not bold text alone. 2.4.6 is about the wording of those headings and labels. 1.3.1 is about the structure being available to assistive technology.
Do headings replace a skip link?
No. Headings and landmarks help a screen reader user jump by structure. They do not give a keyboard user without a screen reader a way past a long menu. Many pages use both a skip link and headings. That distinction is on the skip links page.
Does the Title II web rule include headings and labels?
Yes. The Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That level includes 2.4.6 and 1.3.1. Governments with a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027. Smaller governments and special districts have until April 26, 2028. Who must comply is on the Title II web rule page. A scanner can flag an empty heading. It often cannot tell that a heading’s wording is wrong for the section. A person checks that, which is why a passing score is not conformance, as covered on the scanner page. The fix belongs in the templates, which is remediation.
Questions and answers
Does WCAG require headings on every page?
Not as a blank requirement that every page must contain an h1. Success criterion 2.4.6 Headings and Labels is Level AA. When headings or labels are used, they must describe topic or purpose. Empty, placeholder, or misleading headings fail. Specification: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#headings-and-labels
Do headings have to be in the correct order?
Heading levels that convey structure must be programmatically determinable under success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, Level A. Skipping levels is not always a failure of 2.4.6, but the structure has to match what the headings mean. Specification: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#info-and-relationships
Do headings replace a skip link?
No. Headings help a screen reader user jump by structure. They do not, by themselves, give a keyboard user without a screen reader a way past a long menu. That is covered under bypass blocks: https://www.adasupport.org/skip-links
Does the Title II web rule include headings and labels?
Yes. The DOJ rule names WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 2.4.6 and 1.3.1. Governments of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027. Smaller governments and special districts have until April 26, 2028. Deadlines: https://www.adasupport.org/title-ii-web-rule
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