Header Tags (H1–H6)

Header tags (H1 through H6) are HTML elements that create the heading hierarchy of a page — the H1 is the main title, H2s are major sections, H3s are subsections, and so on. They give content a clear structure that readers skim, screen readers navigate, and search engines use to understand what the page covers.

Use one clear H1 that states the page topic, then nest H2s and H3s logically so the outline reads like a table of contents. Write descriptive headings that include relevant terms naturally — they help both comprehension and featured-snippet eligibility. Do not choose headings for their visual size (style with CSS instead) or skip levels; the hierarchy should be semantic, not cosmetic.

Senior practitioners see headings as the structural map that makes content retrievable — for featured snippets, for accessibility compliance, and increasingly for AI passage retrieval, which leans on clear section boundaries. They enforce heading discipline in content templates and QA, framing question-style H2s that match real queries so each section can stand alone as an extractable answer. Structure is not decoration; it is how machines and skimmers both parse meaning.