BETA release
H_03 Headings with different levels correctly tagged
PDF120, PASSUse case(s): Headings
Last updated on April 21, 2025
Description
The objective of this technique is to show how to use PDF tags to ensure that a document’s structure, as expressed by its headings, is accessible.
In order to correctly mark up documents containing multiple top-level headings (e.g., a collection of articles), PDF/UA allows multiple H1 headings. The first heading in the PDF/UA conforming file must be an H1, and heading levels must not be skipped.
Download(s)
These minimal examples are designed to express a single Technique. Effective use requires software that supports Tagged PDF.
Test(s)
Expected Results
Checks #1 to #7 are all true.
Procedures
- Check that all fundamental techniques are followed.
- Check that all real content that the author intends as a heading is tagged as a heading.
- Check that heading tags are not used when the author does not intend a heading.
- Check that either:
- only Hn tags are used, or
- only appropriately-nested H tags are used.
- Check that the first Hn tag, if any, is an H1.
- Check that the heading levels are appropriate to the content hierarchy of the document.
- Check that no heading levels are skipped.
Application to WCAG 2.x
This Technique addresses the following WCAG 2.x Success Critieria:
Related Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) PDF Techniques
W3C WAI’s PDF Techniques were developed in the 2000s to support the launch of WCAG 2.0. This Techniques may be used as a replacement for the following W3C Technique(s):
Matterhorn Protocol
The Matterhorn Protocol 1.1 provides an algorithm for conformance with PDF/UA-1. Matterhorn checkpoint(s) (human or machine) relevant to this use-case:
01-006- 14-001
14-002- 14-003
Accessibility Technique Support Finder
Accessibility Technique Support Finders allows you to quickly locate software and services that claim to support a given Technique. Simply search the internet with a given technique’s finder together with the name of your product.
The technique finder for this Technique is: UA1_Tpdf-H_03
NOTE: the “technique support finder” concept was introduced in January 2025; please allow time for adoption.
Related Techniques
PDF121 All use cases
Visit the PDF Accessibility LWG’s public GihHub repo
List of All Techniques