Published October 18, 2026

WCAG 2.4.2 Page Titled, Level A

Does WCAG require a page title?

Yes. Success criterion 2.4.2 Page Titled is Level A, so it is also required at Level AA. Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose. A missing title fails. A title that does not identify the contents also fails. The text is in the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation.

What does a page title have to describe?

The topic or purpose of that page. Titles identify the current location without requiring people to read or interpret the page content. The name of the document or web application is enough to describe the purpose. Other wording can describe it too. The W3C explanation is in Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2. A descriptive title identifies the subject, makes sense when read out of context, and is short. That pattern is technique G88. Identifying the site, and using a title that is unique on that site, is helpful. The criterion itself asks for a title that describes topic or purpose. In-page headings are a different rule: when headings are used, they must describe the section, covered on the headings and labels page. Having the link someone followed and the title of the page they land on agree is good practice. How link text states a purpose is on the link purpose page.

Where does the title go in HTML?

The sufficient technique for HTML is technique H25, used with G88. Put a title element in the head. It appears once. It is different from the title attribute, which can sit on other elements. The element has to be non-empty, and the phrase has to describe the document. The language of the page is a separate fact, the lang attribute on the html element, covered on the page language page. A PDF uses a different place for the same duty: the Title entry in the document information dictionary, and a setting that displays that title, documented as technique PDF18. How that file is built is on the accessible PDFs page.

Does “Untitled Document” fail?

Yes. The documented failure is technique F25: the page has a title, but the title does not identify the contents or purpose. Examples include:

• Authoring-tool defaults such as “Untitled Document,” “Untitled Page,” “No Title,” and “New Page 1.”
• Filenames that are not descriptive, such as report.html.
• Empty text, or filler and placeholder text.
• The same title on every page, when that title cannot distinguish the pages.

Does a single-page app have to change the title?

When distinct views are served from the same address and the content changes, the Understanding document says the title should also change to reflect the topic of the current view. A title that stays on the application name while the view changes does not describe that topic. A tool can see that a title element is missing. It often cannot tell that the words do not identify the contents. That limit is why a passing score is not conformance, as covered on the scanner page.

Does the Title II web rule include page titles?

Yes. The Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That level includes 2.4.2. The same sentence, “Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose,” is in WCAG 2.1. Governments 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. The fix is in the page template, which is remediation.