BYTETOOLS

Heading Structure Checker

Paste HTML to see your H1–H6 outline as an indented tree, flagging missing or multiple H1s, skipped levels and empty headings. 100% local, no crawling.

What is the Heading Structure Checker?

The Heading Structure Checker turns pasted HTML into an indented H1–H6 outline so you can see your document hierarchy the way search engines and screen readers do.

  • Indented H1–H6 outline in document order
  • Flags zero or multiple H1s and skipped heading levels
  • Detects empty headings and headings inside <nav> or <footer>
  • Per-level heading counts
  • Copyable plain-text outline for audits
  • Fully client-side — paste HTML, nothing fetched or stored

How to use the Heading Structure Checker

  1. 1

    Open your page, view its source and copy the HTML (full page or any fragment).

  2. 2

    Paste it into the input box.

  3. 3

    Read the outline tree and the flags on problem headings.

  4. 4

    Check the per-level counts and the issue list below the tree.

  5. 5

    Copy the outline as indented text for an audit doc or content brief.

About the Heading Structure Checker

The Heading Structure Checker turns pasted HTML into an indented H1–H6 outline so you can see your document hierarchy the way search engines and screen readers do. It flags the classic problems: no H1, multiple H1s, skipped levels like H2 jumping to H4, headings with no text, and headings buried inside <nav> or <footer> chrome.

A clean heading tree helps Google understand page structure and is one of the fastest accessibility wins available — screen reader users navigate by headings, and a skipped level is genuinely disorienting. The per-level counts and copyable outline make audits and content briefs quick.

Paste your page source or a fragment — this tool analyzes pasted HTML only and never fetches a URL. Everything runs 100% locally in your browser; your markup is never uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Should a page have only one H1?

One clear H1 that states the page topic remains the safe, widely recommended pattern. HTML5 technically allows multiple H1s and Google says it can handle them, but a single H1 keeps the outline unambiguous for assistive technology and for anyone auditing the page.

Do skipped heading levels hurt SEO?

Google is tolerant of imperfect hierarchies, so a skipped level rarely tanks rankings by itself. The real cost is accessibility and comprehension: screen reader users navigate by heading level, and jumping from H2 to H4 implies structure that does not exist. Fixing skips is cheap and always worth it.

Why does the checker flag headings inside nav or footer?

Headings in navigation, footers and cookie banners describe site chrome, not page content, yet they still enter the document outline. They dilute the content hierarchy this tool is showing you — often they are better replaced with styled text or an aria-label on the landmark.

Can I paste a fragment instead of the whole page?

Yes. The parser accepts any HTML — a full document, an article body or a CMS template chunk. Flags like 'no H1' only make sense for full pages though, so interpret results accordingly when checking fragments.

Why can't I just enter my page's URL?

This tool runs entirely in your browser with no server, and browsers block reading other websites' pages. View-source, select all, copy and paste takes a few seconds and also works on staging sites and unpublished drafts that no crawler could reach anyway.

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