WCAG 1.3.1 · Level A

Empty Heading

What is broken
A heading element contains no text, producing a blank entry in the page outline.
Who it affects
Screen reader users navigate by headings and landmarks; when the structure is wrong they lose the map of the page.
How to fix it
Remove empty heading tags, or give them content.

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Automated testing detects roughly a third of WCAG 2.1 success criteria. This rule is detected automatically; issues such as keyboard traps, focus order, and screen-reader flow still require manual review. Not legal advice.