How many H1 tags should a page have?

Use one H1 per page. The H1 is the main heading, and a single one tells visitors, screen readers and search engines what the page is about. Google has said that more than one H1 is not a problem for search, but a page with one clear main heading is simpler to understand and to maintain.

Why it matters

Headings give a page an outline. The H1 names the whole page, and H2 and lower headings divide it into sections. People who use screen readers often jump from heading to heading, so a clear structure is a real accessibility feature. A missing H1, or several competing ones, makes that outline harder to follow.

How to check

Open the page in your browser, right-click and choose View Page Source. Search for <h1 and count the matches.
Alternatively, use the browser's developer tools and run document.querySelectorAll('h1').length in the Console.
Read the heading outline. The H1 should describe the page, and the next level should be H2.
If there are none, add one. If there are several, keep the one that names the page and change the others to H2 or lower.
Check that the H1 is real text, not an image of text, and that it is visible to readers.

A simple outline looks like this:

<h1>How to create a sitemap.xml file</h1>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<h2>How to do it</h2>
<h3>Check the file</h3>

The H1 does not have to match the title tag word for word, but both should describe the same topic. A logo in the header should usually not be an H1, since it names the site rather than the page.

Common mistakes

Using the site name in an H1 on every page, so every page has the same main heading.
Choosing a heading level for its size rather than its meaning. Use CSS for size.
Skipping levels, such as going from H1 straight to H4.
Using an image with no text alternative as the only H1.
Letting a theme add a second H1 in a banner or widget.

Crawvix's scan checks that every page has exactly one main heading (h1).

Frequently asked questions

Will two H1 tags hurt my rankings?

Google has said that using more than one H1 is not a problem for search. Even so, one is clearer for accessibility and tidier to maintain.

Does the H1 need my main keyword?

It should describe the page in natural words. Reading well matters more than repeating a keyword.

Can the H1 be different from the title tag?

Yes. They should match in topic, but the title is written for search results and the H1 for the page itself.

To have every page checked for you, Try the free website sample.