A webpage is not always broken because of a large mistake. Small details can produce exactly this problem: debugging: heading order confuses navigation. This guide shows you what to look for, a concrete fix, and how to check that it worked.
The Idea in Plain English
Headings should express the hierarchy of sections, not the font size a designer wants.
You can test this using a small local HTML file. Change one part at a time and check the result in the browser before adding more code.
A Working Example
The first part shows a problem. The second part shows a safer or more accurate version. Compare them before reading the explanation.
<!-- Problem -->
<h1>Planets</h1>
<h4>Venus</h4>
<!-- Corrected example -->
<h1>Planets</h1>
<h2>Venus</h2>
<p>Venus is the second planet from the Sun.</p>What Each Part Does
- The h1 identifies the principal page heading.
- The h2 identifies a major subsection.
- A paragraph keeps one idea together as readable text.
Before the fix, the browser can behave incorrectly or report a warning. After the change, test the exact failure rather than assuming the page is fixed.
Try It Yourself
Browse the document headings with a screen reader and check for a logical outline.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Check the underlying cause before changing unrelated tags.
- Changing several parts of the example at once, making it difficult to see which part caused a different result.
- Choosing a tag only because its default appearance looks right, without checking whether it describes the content correctly.
Key Takeaways
- Headings should express the hierarchy of sections, not the font size a designer wants.
- Before the fix, the browser can behave incorrectly or report a warning. After the change, test the exact failure rather than assuming the page is fixed.
- Test the markup in a browser, and check accessibility and real-world behavior where relevant.