Page Titled
Summary:
WCAG 2.4.2, "Page Titled," emphasizes the importance of descriptive and unique titles for web pages. This simple yet crucial feature significantly aids users, especially those with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities, in understanding and navigating digital content.
What:
The guideline mandates that web pages have titles that clearly describe the topic or purpose. This helps users identify the content and context of the page, both when they first land on it and when navigating between multiple pages or tabs.
Why:
For users relying on screen readers or other assistive technologies, page titles are often the first piece of content they encounter. A clear, descriptive title sets the stage for the content that follows and aids in navigation, especially when switching between multiple open pages or tabs. For users with cognitive disabilities, a well-defined title helps in understanding the page's context and relevance.
Examples and Scenarios:
- Online Stores: Each product page should have a title that reflects the specific product, like "Blue Cotton T-shirt - ShirtStore."
- Blogs and News Sites: Articles and blog posts should have titles that summarize the topic or main point, such as "5 Tips for Sustainable Gardening."
- Educational Platforms: Course pages should be titled with the course name and module, like "Introduction to Psychology - Module 3."
How to Comply:
- Websites: Use meaningful, unique titles for each web page, which are indicative of the page’s content. HTML
<title>tags are crucial for this. - Mobile Apps: For apps with multiple screens or views, ensure that each screen has a clear title, conveyed either visually or through assistive technologies.
- Software Applications: Similar to websites, each window, screen, or panel in a software application should have a descriptive title.
Exceptions:
- Single Page Applications (SPAs): In SPAs where content changes dynamically without reloading new pages, traditional page titles might not apply. However, dynamic methods to update titles based on content changes should be used.
- Non-Text Content: Pages primarily containing non-text content like images or videos may not have conventional titles but should still provide descriptive identifiers.