The page must have a non-empty title

Rule document-title · Document, language & navigation · impact serious · Static + live

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Why it matters#

The <title> is the first thing a screen reader announces and the label users see in tabs, history, and bookmarks. A missing or empty title leaves the page unidentified.

How to fix#

Add a <title> element inside <head> with non-empty text that names the page and ideally the site ("Pricing — Acme"). Only the HTML <title> counts: an <h1>, an og:title meta tag, or an <svg>``<title> do not. A title set by JavaScript while the page loads is fine; one set only after the user interacts is not. A whitespace-only title counts as empty.

Example#

<head></head>

<head><title>Pricing — Acme</title></head>

Example#

<svg viewBox="0 0 16 16"><title>Search icon</title></svg>

<head><title>Search — Acme</title></head><body><svg viewBox="0 0 16 16"><title>Search icon</title></svg></body>

WCAG success criteria#

2.4.2 Page Titled — Level A#

Each page needs a descriptive <title> that identifies its topic or purpose.

Understanding 2.4.2

Standards#

This rule contributes to the following standards:

WCAG A EN 301 549 Trusted Tester ACT

References#

• WCAG — Page Titled