Page structure
heading-order
WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships Level A
Who this affects
Heading levels skip a step. Screen reader users navigate by heading level, so a gap makes the page structure read as though content is missing.
How to fix it
Use heading levels in order without skipping. Style them with CSS rather than picking a level for its appearance.
How much work is it?
Usually a template or design change. That is a rough guide for planning, not an estimate for your codebase. A single content edit repeated across a template is a template change.
What a person still has to check
Passing this rule does not mean 1.3.1 passes. Automation checks part of the criterion, and the rest is a judgement:
Confirm headings, lists, and tables are marked up as such, and that visual grouping is reflected in the markup.
Read 1.3.1 Info and Relationships in plain language
Where this check comes from
This is an axe-core rule. We run axe in a real browser on every page we scan. Deque’s reference for heading-order
Find out whether your site does this
A scan checks this rule on every page it visits, and shows you the code and a screenshot of each place it fires.