Finalsite + AudioEye: Fix heading structure flags

Misty Flowers

April 29, 2026 13:59

A step-by-step walkthrough for editors: how to find heading structure flags in AudioEye, understand what is wrong, and fix heading levels in Finalsite Composer. Part of the AudioEye how-to series.

💡Quick answers

What is a heading structure issue? A page has skipped a heading level (e.g., jumping from H1 to H3), has more than one H1, is missing an H1, or uses bold text instead of a real heading tag.
Can AudioEye fix this automatically? No. Heading structure is built into your content in Composer. You must edit the page to fix the levels.
How do I find the specific heading? Add /?oss=1 to the URL. The scanner highlights the element and shows exactly which level it currently has.
Why does it matter? Screen reader users use headings as a "Table of Contents" to navigate. Skipping levels breaks that navigation.
How do I verify the fix? Reload with /?oss=1 to confirm the highlight is gone.

Why heading structure matters

For many users, headings are not just titles. They are a navigation menu. When someone visits your site using a screen reader, they can pull up a list of every heading on the page and jump directly to the section they need. This works exactly like a table of contents.

When heading levels are skipped or visual formatting (bold text) is used instead of actual tags, that table of contents breaks. A screen reader user sees gaps in the outline and loses the ability to navigate efficiently.

WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) requires that structure conveyed visually also be available programmatically.

What AudioEye shows you

On your report, issues appear as "Heading levels are skipped" or "Multiple H1 headings." AudioEye also flags "visual headings"—text that looks like a heading (large and bold) but isn't tagged as one. These are invisible to assistive technology and must be replaced with proper tags.

Step 1: Find the flagged heading

Open the flagged page and add /?oss=1 to the end of the URL. The scanner will highlight the element and tell you the current level (e.g., "H3") and why it is failing (e.g., "Heading level skipped").

Step 2: Understand the heading hierarchy on your page

Think of headings as an outline. Before changing a level, map out your page structure:

H1 (Page title): Exactly one per page. In Finalsite, this is your Page Name.
H2 (Major sections): The primary sub-sections. Element titles in Composer default to H2.
H3 through H6 (Sub-sections): Content nested within an H2 or H3.

The golden rule

Never skip a heading level. Do not jump from H1 to H3 just because you like the font size of H3. Always choose the level based on the hierarchy, not the style.

Step 3: Fix the heading level

There are three places headings are set in Composer depending on where the text lives:

The page H1: Page Settings

The H1 is set automatically from the Page Name field. If AudioEye flags a "Missing H1," ensure your page has a name. If it flags "Multiple H1s," check if you have accidentally set a different element title to H1.

Element titles: The heading dropdown

Most Composer elements (Content, Calendar, etc.) have a Title field that defaults to H2. To change it, use the heading selection dropdown next to the title field.

For example: If an element is nested inside a Tab or Accordion that already has an H2 title, you should set that nested element to H3.

Within body content: The editor toolbar

To create headings inside a single Content element:

Highlight the text.
Click the Formatting icon (the Pilcrow symbol ¶) in the toolbar.
Select the appropriate heading level.

This is also how you fix "visual headings" that were previously just bolded text.

Step 4: Verify the fix

Publish your changes in Composer.
Reload the page with /?oss=1.
Confirm the scanner no longer flags the heading. If a page has multiple flags, work top-to-bottom, as fixing an H2 may resolve issues for the H3s below it.

Want to see this in action?

Heading list in a screen reader: On a Mac, open VoiceOver (Cmd + F5), press Ctrl + Opt + U, and select Headings. This shows you exactly what a screen reader user sees.
WebAIM Guide: Learn more about heading hierarchy.

Still stuck?

If a heading is inside a locked template or the flag won't go away, email accessibility@finalsite.com with the page URL and the specific element name.