More than one Heading 1
The top-level heading of a page describes what the whole page is about, so each page should normally have only one. Silktide reports pages that repeat their top-level heading.
In , the top-level heading is the <h1> element. It should act like the page's headline, with <h2> to <h6> structuring the content beneath it:
<!-- Two competing top-level headings -->
<h1>Our services</h1>
<h1>Contact us</h1>
<!-- One h1, with h2 for the next topic -->
<h1>Our services</h1>
<h2>Contact us</h2>
Why this matters
The <h1> carries particular weight with search engines when they decide what a page is about and what headline to show for it. Multiple top-level headings dilute that signal and can lead to the wrong text being used as the page's title in search results.
A single clear <h1> also helps people using , who often navigate by headings: one top-level heading gives the page an unambiguous starting point.
How to fix it
- Keep one
<h1>that describes the whole page, and demote the others to<h2>(or lower, to match their place in the content). - If an element is styled as a big heading but is not the page's main topic - a slogan, a promotional banner - use a lower heading level or a styled paragraph instead.
- Check your templates: a site logo or section masthead wrapped in
<h1>on every page is a common cause.
How Silktide tests this
- Walk through the page's content in order, looking for
<h1>elements. - Treat HTML5 sectioning elements (
<section>,<article>,<aside>,<details>,<header>,<footer>,<nav>) as separate scopes: one<h1>is allowed inside each of them, independent of the rest of the page. - Flag every additional
<h1>found after the first within the same scope.
Troubleshooting
My page uses one h1 per section - is that wrong?
HTML5 allows an <h1> inside each sectioning element, and Silktide accepts that pattern. Be aware that search engines and do not reliably treat sectioned <h1>s as nested levels, so a single page-level <h1> with explicit <h2>-<h6> levels remains the more robust choice.