·

Understanding SC 2.4.2 Page Titled

Avatar for Raghavendra Satish PeriAuthored By :Raghavendra Satish Peri Last Updated : Operable, WCAG
2.4.2 Page Titled
2.4.2 Page Titled

Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose. (Level A)

The intent of this success criteria is to provide clear & descriptive titles to the web pages so that they are understood easily by all users. This success criteria is helpful for visually challenged users, cognitive users, motor disable users & users with short-term memory. Titles of the pages will give a clear & concise picture to the user what the web page is about & what to expect on the web page. While 2.4.4 link purpose talks about the purpose of the link, it is a best practice to link to web pages using their respective page titles.

By reading the title of the page, user must understand the purpose of the page. Sccreen readers such as JAWS & NVDA provide a shortcut key insert+t to check the title of the page. If there is more than one tab opened, then user can just look at the title & identify which page he/she is working on. In addition to that, a unique title would also help the users to ensure whether they are on the right page/step. Moreover, providing unique title would help index the site properly by search engines.

Code Example

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
lt;html lang="en-us">
<head>
<header>
<title>ACCESSIBLE CAROUSEL EXAMPLE USING ARIA</title>
</header>
</head>


In the above example we can easily see that <title> is being used to provide the title for the web page. This is the attribute that  provides title even when we are running websites on CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal.

Points to Ponder

  • Provide a unique title.
  • Make sure that title is between 50-75 characters.
  • Make sure title of the page is the heading level H1 on the page.
  • Title should contain web page name, bit of description & site name.
  • Make sure title describes purpose of the page.

Related WCAG Articles

Useful A11Y Resources on Page Title

References

Read Next: Understanding SC 2.4.3 Focus Order
Explore our WCAG Checklist

Explore more on DigitalA11Y Insights

Share A11y Love
Avatar for Raghavendra Satish Peri

Raghavendra Satish Peri empowers enterprises with his expertise in digital accessibility and marketing. Through his impactful work, he collaborates with both small businesses and large enterprises, spearheading digital transformation initiatives. Raghavendra is the author behind the influential Accessibility Blog hosted at DigitalA11Y.com, where he delves into the intricate realm of digital accessibility and its significance.
Passionate about fostering change within the tech landscape, Raghavendra actively inspires local tech communities through engaging meetups and mentorship. He is the driving force behind HelloA11Y.com, a vibrant platform that unites accessibility professionals, developers, and enthusiasts, propelling the adoption of accessible practices.
Beyond the digital realm, Raghavendra seeks diverse experiences. You might find him exploring various cuisines at local cafes and restaurants or immersing himself in thought-provoking audio books. His insights and musings also find a home on his Personal Blog at raghava.in, where he shares his thoughts and experiences with a wider audience.

4 Comments

  1. Hi Raghavendra,

    Can we raise a bug under 2.4.2 if the page title is not marked as heading level 1?

    Please advise.

    Thanks,
    Roopseh

    Reply

    1. Hi Roopesh,
      The heading level H1 can be anything that conveys information on the page & provides hierarchical structure. If page title is not provided as H1 then it is not a failure. There can be an alternative heading level H1 on the page that is relevant to overall content. Hope this clarifies it.

      Reply

  2. Hi Raghavendra,
    How would the success criteria be applied to hybrid mobile applications?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *