SH001 – Heading Hierarchy Validation
Overview
Validates proper heading structure: exactly one h1, no skipped levels (e.g. h1 then h3).
Probability that AI systems use this signal: Crawlers and generative AI pipelines consume structured and visible page signals for training and inference. Assessment-specific signals (e.g. schema, canonicals, trust cues) affect how likely a page is indexed and surfaced. The probability that this assessment's signal influences AI behavior is high when the page is in a product or compliance context.
Impact on geo compliance: Passing this assessment supports geo compliance by ensuring machine-readable and visible content meet standards that reduce the risk of wrong locale, pricing, or trust in AI-generated answers. Failing can lead to non-compliant or misleading surfacing.
What We Check
- All h1–h6 collected in document order. No headings: failed.
- **Multiple h1:** −50. **No h1:** −40.
- **_check_skipped_levels:** expected_level starts at 1; for each heading, if current_level > expected_level → "Heading level skipped: h{expected} → h{current}". Then expected_level = current_level + 1. Each skip −30.
Pass / Fail and Score
- **PASSED** if score >= 60.
How to Fix When It Fails
- Use only one h1 per page; add h1 for main heading; maintain hierarchy without skipping levels (h1→h2→h3, not h1→h3).
Common Issues
- Zero or multiple h1; skipped levels (e.g. h1, h3).
Dependencies
None.
How to Verify
- List all h1–h6 in order; ensure one h1 and no skip.
Additional Resources
- WCAG heading structure; HTML5 outline