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A heading structure checker reads the H1 to H6 headings of a web page and shows them as an outline, so you can see whether the page has one clear main heading, sensible sections and no skipped levels. The free Heading Structure Checker fetches a public page, lists every heading in order and flags missing, repeated, empty and out-of-order headings. Our server reads the address you enter and the result is not kept.
Last updated: 28 October 2026. Written by Saad Raza.
Key takeaways
- A page should have one H1 that states its main topic, H2 headings for its sections and H3 headings for the parts within them.
- Skipped levels, empty headings and repeated headings make a page harder for people, screen readers and search systems to follow.
- Headings phrased as questions, each followed by a direct answer, are easy for search and AI tools to lift out and quote.
- The tool reads the HTML source, so it shows what a crawler sees before any JavaScript runs.
The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative explains in its tutorial on headings that headings should convey the meaning and structure of a page and should be nested by rank, with a subsection using the next level down from its parent.
What the Heading Structure Checker does
Every page has an outline, whether or not anyone designed one. Headings are the labels on that outline. A reader skims them to decide whether the page is worth reading, a screen reader user jumps between them to navigate, and a search or AI system uses them to work out which part of the page answers which question.
The checker turns that hidden outline into something you can see. It lists each heading with its level, indents it to show how it nests, and runs a short set of checks on the result. It is built for site owners, writers and developers who want to confirm that a page is organised the way they think it is, especially after a theme change, a page builder edit or a migration.
How to use the Heading Structure Checker
- Type or paste the full address of the page, starting with https://.
- Press Check headings and wait a few seconds while the tool fetches the page.
- Look at the four counts at the top: H1, H2, H3 and all headings.
- Read the Checks panel. Each row has a mark: a tick for fine, an exclamation mark for worth improving, a cross for an error and an i for information.
- Scan the outline below it. Headings that skip a level or have no text are highlighted.
- Fix the page, publish the change and run the same address again to confirm it.
Start with your most important pages: the home page, your main service pages and your best guides. Once you know what a clean outline looks like for your site, you can spot-check the rest.
How to read the results
The checks follow a small set of rules. This table shows what each one looks for and why it is there.
| Check | What it looks for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| One H1 | Exactly one top-level heading | States the main topic clearly |
| First heading | The outline opens with the H1 | Shows the main content starts where you expect |
| Skipped levels | A jump such as H2 to H4 | Breaks the parent and child relationship |
| Empty headings | A heading tag with no text | Confuses screen readers and crawlers |
| Repeated headings | Two headings with identical text | Makes sections hard to tell apart |
| Question headings | Headings phrased as questions | Matches how people ask search and AI tools |
Headings inside navigation and footer areas are ignored, because they belong to the site and not to the page’s own content. The outline shows up to 200 headings, which is more than almost any page needs.
Common heading problems this finds
- Headings used for styling: a theme or builder uses H4 or H5 tags for small bold text in a sidebar or banner, which clutters the outline.
- More than one H1: some themes make the site name an H1 on every page, and the page title another.
- A heading before the H1: a widget or announcement bar near the top of the page adds a smaller heading ahead of the main one.
- Skipped levels: an H2 followed directly by an H4 because the H4 looked the right size.
- Empty headings: a leftover tag from a deleted block or a spacer made with a heading element.
- Identical headings: several sections all called Overview or Details.
- Headings that say nothing: labels such as Introduction or More information that do not tell a reader what the section contains.
Worked example (illustrative)
Imagine a page about teeth whitening for a dental clinic. The checker shows two H1 headings: one is the clinic’s name in the header and the other is the page title. The first heading in the outline is an H4 from a booking widget, and a section called Aftercare jumps from an H2 straight to an H4.
The owner fixes the template so the clinic name is no longer a heading, moves the widget below the main content and changes the H4 to an H3. They also rename two sections called Overview to Who is whitening suitable for? and How long does whitening last?
Run again, the page shows one H1, no skipped levels and two question-style headings. The text of the page did not change, but its outline now reads like a table of contents.
This is a made-up example to show the process. What you find on your own site depends on how it is built.
How to fix a weak heading structure
- Write the H1 first. It should say what the page is about in plain words, ideally close to the title tag.
- List the questions a visitor would ask and make each one an H2. Put a direct answer in the first sentence under it.
- Use H3 headings only for parts of an H2 section, such as the steps of a method or the items in a comparison.
- Remove heading tags that exist only for styling and use a paragraph with CSS or a block style instead.
- Give every heading a distinct, specific name. If two headings could swap places without anyone noticing, they are too vague.
- In WordPress, check your theme and page builder settings, because many templates decide the heading level for you.
Why heading structure matters for SEO and AI search
Headings give a page a skeleton that a machine can follow. Search engines use them to understand the topic and its subtopics, and they help systems choose which passage to show for a query. AI search tools work in a similar way: when a page is divided into clearly labelled sections, it is easier to find the one that answers a question and to quote it accurately.
Google’s guidance does not require exactly one H1 for a page to rank, so a second H1 is not a penalty. The reason to keep one is clarity and accessibility, because a single top-level heading gives people and tools an unambiguous statement of the main topic.
A clean outline also supports the people who use your site. Screen reader users often move from heading to heading, so a logical structure is part of making a page usable by everyone.
Limits to know about
The tool reads the HTML that the server sends. If your page adds headings with JavaScript after it loads, they will not appear here, and a crawler that does not run scripts may not see them either. That is useful to know in itself.
It cannot judge whether a heading is a good one, only whether the structure is sound. For the rest of a page’s on-page elements, use the On-Page SEO Checker, and to check whether AI search crawlers can read the page at all, use the AI Search Readiness Checker.
Questions about the Heading Structure Checker
Should a page have only one H1?
It is good practice, though not a rule from Google. One H1 states the main topic clearly. Several H1 headings are not penalised, but they can make the page’s purpose less obvious to readers and tools.
Does skipping a heading level hurt SEO?
There is no known penalty for it. It does make the structure less clear and it harms accessibility, because screen reader users rely on the levels to understand how sections relate.
How many H2 headings should a page have?
As many as it has distinct sections. A short page may have two or three, and a long guide may have a dozen. The tool warns when a page has fewer than two.
Should my headings include keywords?
Use the words your audience uses, where they fit naturally. A heading that reads like a keyword list is worse for people and does not help.
Why does the tool show headings I cannot see on the page?
Some themes include headings that are hidden with CSS or shown only on certain screens. They still exist in the HTML, so a crawler reads them.
Why are my headings missing from the results?
They are probably added by JavaScript after the page loads, or they sit inside a navigation or footer area, which the tool ignores.
Does the checker store the address I enter?
The tool does not keep a record of what you check. A result is held briefly in a short-term cache, for about ten minutes, so a repeat check loads faster, and it is then discarded.
If you would like a full review of how your pages are structured for search and AI tools, my on-page optimisation service covers that work, and you can ask for a free audit through the contact page. You can also browse the rest of the free on-page SEO tools.
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