WCAG reference → 2.4.6
2.4.6 Headings and Labels (level AA)
Headings and labels have to describe the topic or purpose of what they introduce.
How it shows up in Confluence
An empty heading, a heading that runs to three lines, or a collapsible section with no title all fail here. Headings are a navigation surface, not decoration: they are read as a list, out of context, by people deciding where to jump.
What to do about it
Keep headings short and specific, give every collapsible section a label, and delete headings that exist only for spacing.
What Clearwren checks for this criterion
- Heading has no text — An empty heading is announced as a heading with nothing in it, which breaks navigation by headings.
- Heading reads as a paragraph — Long headings are hard to scan in a screen reader’s heading list, which is how many users find their way around a page.
- Collapsible section has no label — An unlabelled expand is announced only as a button, so a keyboard user cannot tell what opening it will reveal.
- Two headings have the same text — Screen-reader users navigate by jumping between headings; identical headings are impossible to tell apart in that list.