Titles and Heading 1s

Titles and Heading 1s serve different purposes for screen reader users. Both matter. Don’t confuse them.

Title

• Web: The <title> tag (appears in browser tabs and search results)
• Documents: The Document Title field (set in File > Properties or metadata)
• Screen readers announce this when the file or page loads
• Not included in heading navigation
• Each page/document should have only one title

Heading 1

• Web: The <h1> element
• Documents: Heading 1 style (Word, PDF, etc.)
• Included in heading navigation
• Marks the main idea or topic
• Web: Best practice = one per page
• Documents:
  • Short docs → one Heading 1 (same or similar to title)
  • Long docs → use multiple Heading 1s for major sections (e.g., parts or chapters)

Accessibility Tips for Titles and Headings

Webpages

• Title: 
  • First thing read by screen reader
  • Not included in heading navigation
• Heading 1: 
  • Defines page topic
  • Part of heading navigation (users can press 1 key to jump to it)
  • Use only one per page for clarity

PDFs

• Title: 
  • Announced on load
  • Set in Document Properties
  • Not part of heading navigation
• Heading 1:
  • Included in heading navigation
  • Use multiple for long documents (parts/chapters)
  • Use one for short documents (match/similar to title)

Microsoft Word and Other Text Editors

• Title:
  • Set in metadata
  • Announced on open
  • Not part of navigation
• Heading 1:
  • Used like in PDFs: multiple for long docs, one for short
  • Should align with document structure