Headings | UAMS Web Services

Last modified: February 4, 2022

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Headings communicate the organization of the content on the page. Web browsers, plug-ins, and assistive technologies can use them to provide in-page navigation.

Do not use headings to simply format text.

Heading ranks

Nest headings by their rank (or level). The most important heading has the rank 1 (<h1>), the least important heading rank 6 (<h6>). Headings with an equal or higher rank start a new section, headings with a lower rank start new subsections that are part of the higher ranked section.

Skipping heading ranks can be confusing and should be avoided where possible: Make sure that a <h2> is not followed directly by an <h4>, for example. It is ok to skip ranks when closing subsections, for instance, a <h2> beginning a new section, can follow an <h4> as it closes the previous section.

In the UAMS 2020 theme and the UAMS Find-a-Doc 2020 plugin, the page title has rank 1 (<h1>).

On a basic text page, the highest ranked heading should be rank 2 (<h2>). The same applies to the main body of a Condition, Treatment or Area of Expertise in the UAMS Find-a-Doc plugin.

In any UAMS block, the block’s heading has rank 2 (<h2>). In the body of the block, if headings are allowed, the highest ranked heading should be rank 3 (<h3>).

Visualizing Heading Ranks

If a page existed that listed information about multiple Walt Disney Company movie franchises, the page could be organized in a way reflected by the following heading outline.

Heading 1 (page title): The Walt Disney Company Movie Franchises
- Heading 2: The Star Wars Films
  - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Star Wars films
  - Heading 3: The Original Trilogy
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the original trilogy
    - Heading 4: A New Hope
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about A New Hope
    - Heading 4: The Empire Strikes Back
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Empire Strikes Back
    - Heading 4: Return of the Jedi
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Return of the Jedi
  - Heading 3: The Prequel Trilogy
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the prequel trilogy
    - Heading 4: The Phantom Menace
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Phantom Menace
    - Heading 4: Attack of the Clones
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Attack of the Clones
    - Heading 4: Revenge of the Sith
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Revenge of the Sith
  - Heading 3: The Sequel Trilogy
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the sequel trilogy
    - Heading 4: The Force Awakens
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Force Awakens
    - Heading 4: The Last Jedi
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Last Jedi
    - Heading 4: The Rise of Skywalker
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Rise of Skywalker
- Heading 2: The Marvel Cinematic Universe
  - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Marvel Cinematic Universe
  - Heading 3: Phase One Films
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Phase One films
    - Heading 4: Iron Man
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Iron Man
    - Heading 4: The Incredible Hulk
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Incredible Hulk
    - Heading 4: Iron Man 2
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Iron Man 2
    - Heading 4: Thor
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Thor
    - Heading 4: Captain America: The First Avenger
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Captain America: The First Avenger
    - Heading 4: The Avengers
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Avengers
  - Heading 3: Phase Two Films
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Phase Two films
    - Heading 4: Iron Man 3
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Iron Man 3
    - Heading 4: Thor: The Dark World
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Thor: The Dark World
    - Heading 4: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    - Heading 4: Guardians of the Galaxy
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Guardians of the Galaxy
    - Heading 4: Avengers: Age of Ultron
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Avengers: Age of Ultron
    - Heading 4: Ant-Man
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Ant-Man
  - Heading 3: Phase Three Films
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Phase Three films
    - Heading 4: Captain America: Civil War
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Captain America: Civil War
    - Heading 4: Doctor Strange
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Doctor Strange
    - Heading 4: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
    - Heading 4: Spider-Man: Homecoming
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Spider-Man: Homecoming
    - Heading 4: Thor: Ragnarok
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Thor: Ragnarok
    - Heading 4: Black Panther
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Black Panther
    - Heading 4: Avengers: Infinity War
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Avengers: Infinity War
    - Heading 4: Ant-Man and the Wasp
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Ant-Man and the Wasp
    - Heading 4: Captain Marvel
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Captain Marvel
    - Heading 4: Avengers: Endgame
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Avengers: Endgame
    - Heading 4: Spider-Man: Far From Home
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Spider-Man: Far From Home
  - Heading 3: Phase Four Films
    - Paragraph-level content: general information about the Phase Four films
    - Heading 4: Black Widow
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Black Widow
    - Heading 4: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
    - Heading 4: Eternals
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Eternals
    - Heading 4: Spider-Man: No Way Home
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Spider-Man: No Way Home
    - Heading 4: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
    - Heading 4: Thor: Love and Thunder
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Thor: Love and Thunder
    - Heading 4: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    - Heading 4: The Marvels
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about The Marvels
    - Heading 4: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
    - Heading 4: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
    - Heading 4: Fantastic Four
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Fantastic Four
    - Heading 4: Blade
      - Paragraph-level content: general information about Blade

Sources

Content used in this article is courtesy of W3C Web Accessibility Tutorials article on Headings: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/page-structure/headings/

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