What this criterion requires
Every page has a title element that describes its topic or purpose.
Who it helps
Screen reader users (the title is the first thing announced), and everyone scanning browser tabs.
Example: fails vs passes
<title>Home</title> <!-- on every page of the site --><title>PDF Accessibility Checker - EqualWeb</title>Unique, front-loaded titles. In SPAs, update document.title on every route change.
How to meet and fix it
- Unique, front-loaded titles: "Pricing - EqualWeb", not "EqualWeb | Home of accessibility | Pricing"
- Update the title on single-page-app route changes
Common failures auditors find
- Identical titles across pages
- SPAs whose title never changes as views change
Automated scanning catches a share of these instantly - run a free check - and a manual audit covers the judgement calls a tool cannot make.
In PDF documents
The PDF equivalent is the document Title in the metadata, with the viewer set to display the title rather than the file name (ViewerPreferences/DisplayDocTitle).
Check any document against this and 80+ more automated checks with the free PDF accessibility checker.
- W3C, Understanding 2.4.2: Page Titled - w3.org/WAI
- W3C, How to Meet 2.4.2 (quick reference) - w3.org/WAI/quickref
Last updated . Reviewed by the EqualWeb accessibility team.
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