{"id":892,"date":"2026-01-20T11:27:58","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/web\/?page_id=892"},"modified":"2026-01-20T11:28:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:28:29","slug":"header-structure","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/web\/standards\/content\/header-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Headings and Page Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Headings Organize Content on Citadel Websites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Headings create the structure and hierarchy of a webpage. They function like an outline, guiding users, screen readers, search engines and AI tools through content in a logical order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When headings are used correctly, pages are easier to read, more accessible and easier to maintain. When they\u2019re misused, content becomes confusing\u2014even if it looks \u201cfine\u201d visually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These standards apply to all Citadel webpages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Why Heading Structure Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Proper heading structure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Improves readability and scannability for users<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Allows screen readers to navigate content efficiently<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Helps search engines understand page hierarchy and relevance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Enables AI tools to accurately summarize and surface content<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reduces confusion when pages are updated or reorganized<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Headings are not<\/em> a design tool. They are a structural tool.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Screenshot
    Headings create an outline of your page content<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Heading Levels Explained<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Each heading level has a specific role. Headings must follow a clear, logical order (H1 \u2192 H2 \u2192 H3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Heading 1 (H1)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Each page must have one H1\n
        \n
      • The H1 is the page title <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • It defines the main topic of the page<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • If your page has more than one H1, the structure is incorrect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Heading 2 (H2)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • H2s are used for main sections of the page\n
            \n
          • Each page should have no more than two H2s<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • The first H2 should appear directly below the page title<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Important WordPress Note:<\/strong> WordPress often defaults new headings to H2. Editors must manually change heading levels as needed to maintain proper hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Heading 3 (H3)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • H3s are used for subsections under an H2\n
                \n
              • Limit to three H3s per H2<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • H3s should support and expand on the section introduced by the H2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Lower-Level Headings (H4-h6)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                • Use sparingly and only when content truly requires additional depth<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Do not use lower-level headings to \u201cstyle\u201d text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n

                  Heading Structure Guidelines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                  \n

                  Required Standards:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • Use one H1 per page<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Use H2s for main sections only<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Use H3s for subsections under H2s<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Follow heading levels in order (H1 \u2192 H2 \u2192 H3)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Keep headings clear and descriptive<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Use normal capitalization (avoid ALL CAPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                    \n

                    Never:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • Skip heading levels (do not jump from H1 to H3)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Choose a heading level based on appearance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Use headings for decorative or stylistic purposes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Create multiple H1s on a single page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      How Headings Organize Content on Citadel Websites Headings create the structure and hierarchy of a webpage. They function like an outline, guiding users, screen readers, search engines and AI tools through content in a logical order. When headings are used correctly, pages are easier to read, more accessible and easier to maintain. When they\u2019re misused, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":694,"featured_media":0,"parent":853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-892","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHeadings and Page Structure - The Citadel's Website<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Standards for using headings on Citadel webpages to create clear structure, support accessibility and improve search and AI understanding.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Headings and Page Structure\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Standards for using headings on Citadel webpages to create clear structure, support accessibility and improve search and AI understanding.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/web\/standards\/content\/header-structure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Citadel's Website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T16:28:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/heading-hierarchy-scaled.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1602\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/web\\\/standards\\\/content\\\/header-structure\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/web\\\/standards\\\/content\\\/header-structure\\\/\",\"name\":\"Headings and Page Structure - 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