Section Headings
Section headings are used to organize the content within long-form pages, where appropriate.
What it requires
WCAG 2.0 SC 2.4.10 (AAA) requires that long-form pages (blog posts, policy pages, FAQ articles) be broken into headed sections. The criterion explicitly says "where appropriate" — short pages and form-only pages are exempt.
Pages without subheadings force screen-reader users to read sequentially. Subheadings let them jump-navigate to the section they want.
Common Shopify failure
Blog post that is a single 2,000-word block with no `<h2>` subheadings. Privacy policy that is one continuous prose document.
How to fix it
Break long content into descriptive sections and use semantic headings that match the information hierarchy. Editorial review is required to choose meaningful structure.
Merchant QA checklist
- Scan the storefront page where this pattern appears: product pages, collection pages, cart drawer, customer-account pages, and any landing page built with theme sections.
- Confirm the issue is fixed in the rendered browser output, not only in the Liquid file. Shopify section settings, app blocks, and third-party scripts can reintroduce the same 2.4.10 failure after a theme edit.
- Re-test the affected component with keyboard navigation and a screen-reader accessibility tree before publishing the theme, especially when the fix changes markup or ARIA attributes.
How AccessComply handles it
AccessComply uses automated rules to check supported patterns in the pages reached during a scan. Some WCAG requirements need human judgment, assistive-technology testing, or access to third-party content and cannot be established by an automated scan. This criterion is generally treated as a pattern that needs hands-on review. If the app can safely match the issue to supported source code, the merchant must review and approve the suggested change before anything is written, and the result is checked afterward. Otherwise the merchant should use the guidance above and independent hands-on testing. The label is not a guarantee of detection, a fix, WCAG conformance, or legal compliance.
Primary source: W3C — WCAG 2.0 Understanding 2.4.10