Heading is empty

Why does it matter?

Screen reader users navigate by a list of headings. An empty heading shows up in that list as a blank entry. It is usually a leftover Heading block, or a heading used to add space.

Who it affects: Screen reader users, who jump from heading to heading to understand and skim a page, and people with cognitive disabilities who rely on clear structure.

What does Lumtera flag?

Headings with no text content.

Check ID heading-empty — use it to filter the content report or with wp lumtera issues --rule.

How do I fix it in WordPress?

Type the heading text, or delete the block. To add space between sections, use a Spacer block rather than an empty heading.

In the block editor, this issue has a Fix button: one click repairs the block, and Undo puts it back.

Example

<h2></h2>

<h2>Opening hours</h2>

How do I check the fix?

1. Update the post. The issue disappears from the Lumtera Accessibility sidebar on the next check, and from the site report on the next scan.
2. Use a headings outline — the block editor's Document Overview (List View → Outline), or a browser extension such as HeadingsMap — and check the levels read like a table of contents.