HTML reference

h1 to h6

Heading elements describe the structure of a page. Use <h1> for the page's main topic, then use <h2> and deeper levels for nested sections.

Basic example

<h1>HTML forms</h1>
<h2>Text fields</h2>
<h3>Placeholder text</h3>
<h2>Buttons</h2>

The number expresses nesting, not visual size. CSS controls appearance, so do not choose a heading level only because it looks large.

Practical rules

• Give each page one clear main heading in most cases.
• Do not skip levels just to change font size.
• Keep headings short and make them describe the section that follows.
• Use the heading outline to let readers and screen-reader users navigate quickly.

Related pages

• header
• section
• main
• English HTML reference