Accessibility tip: Headings communicate the organisation of the content on the page. Web browsers, plug-ins, and assistive technologies can use them to provide in-page navigation. (Source: W3.org)

On vic.gov.au the most commonly used headings are Heading 2 and Heading 3.

Highlight your heading and click on Format and select your heading style.

The first heading after the title must be Heading 2 (because the page title is formatted as Heading 1)

The level for the next heading depends on whether the content is a subtopic of the Heading 2 above, or it covers a new topic.

If your content is a subtopic, then you would apply the next level. That means if your content is related to the heading 2, then next heading should be heading 3. If you need to add subheadings under a heading 3, you would use heading 4.

You can’t follow a heading 2 with a heading 4, for example, just because you like the way it looks.

Example: Types of vegetable is a new topic. It doesn’t go under types of fruit, so it’s formatted as heading 2. Fuji and pink lady are types of apple, so they are subheadings (H4) of the Apples heading (H3).

(H2) Types of fruit

(H3) Apples

(H4) Fuji apples

(H4) Pink lady apples

(H3) Grapes

(H3) Oranges

(H2) Types of vegetable

(H3) Carrots

(H3) Pumpkin

Learn more about Headings on the Style Manual:

• Write headings that are clear and short

• Use keywords to start headings

• Organise heading levels in a logical order

• Be consistent: use a parallel structure

• Use unique formatting for each level of heading

• Write all headings in sentence case and use minimal punctuation