The <title> element on this page does not identify the contents or purpose of the page.

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Rule ID:
title-not-meaningful
User Impact:
Serious
WCAG :
2.4.2.a

Rule

The page <title> MUST be accurate and informative. The page <title> SHOULD be unique, if possible.

Background

People who are blind cannot visually scan a page for a main heading or similar feature to quickly determine the purpose of a particular page. The <title> element is the first thing a screen reader reads when loading a page or switching to a new browser tab. A descriptive <title> element gives screen reader users a quick overview of a page without having to read the page itself.

Code Examples

Good Example:

Title describes page content:

<html lang="en">
<head>
  <title>Products and Services</title>
</head>

Failure Examples:

Title does not describe page content:

<html lang="en">
<head>
  <title>Untitled Document</title>
</head>

Title does not specify the search text:

<html lang="en">
<head>
  <title>Search Results</title>
</head>

How To Fix

To fix this issue:

  • Use the <title> element in the document <head>.
  • Make the <title> accurate, informative, and (preferably) unique.

Don't do this:

  • Exclude the <title> element or leave it empty. (<title></title>)
  • Use a placeholder title or generic title.

References