Why does a skipped heading level matter?

Screen reader users often navigate a page heading-by-heading rather than reading it top to bottom, using the heading levels as a table of contents. Jumping from an H2 straight to an H4 breaks that structure and can make a section feel like it's missing context, even though it displays fine visually.

Is it ever okay to have more than one H1?

The HTML5 spec technically permits multiple H1s within separate sectioning elements, and it's flagged here only as an informational note, not an error. That said, most SEO guidance still recommends a single H1 that clearly states the page's main topic.

Does this check visual heading size (like large bold text)?

No — it only looks at actual H1–H6 tags in the HTML. Text that's styled to look like a heading with CSS but isn't wrapped in a heading tag won't show up, and semantically that's exactly the kind of thing worth fixing.

HTML Heading Hierarchy Auditor

Developer

New

See your page's heading structure — and every skipped level.

HTML source

Paste a page's HTML — view-source works, so does a component's markup.

Heading tree

9 headings found.

2 issues

The Complete Guide to Sourdough Bread

Getting Started

Choosing Your Flour

The Fermentation Process

Bulk Fermentation

(empty)

Baking Day

Shaping

Scoring and Baking

Level skipped: H2 is followed directly by H4 ("Choosing Your Flour") — H3 was skipped.

Heading #6 (H3) has no text content.

About this tool

Paste raw HTML and get a visual tree of every H1–H6 tag in document order, with skipped heading levels, empty headings, and missing or duplicate H1s automatically flagged — the structural checks that matter most for accessibility and SEO.

How to use HTML Heading Hierarchy Auditor

1
Paste a page's HTML source — view-source, a CMS export, or a component's markup all work.
2
Review the indented heading tree to see the structure at a glance.
3
Fix anything flagged below: skipped levels, empty headings, or a missing or duplicated H1.

Frequently asked questions

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