Free tool · no signup · runs now
H1 heading checker
The H1 is the headline search engines and readers agree on. Zero H1s and the page has no stated topic; two H1s and they compete.
Part of the Technical SEO audit & onpage SEO audit group — also included in the free full scan.
Checks this exact page only — it does not crawl the rest of your domain.
One free scan · anonymous preview · sign in to save the full report
Exactly one H1 heading (h1Count: 1)Static example for H1 heading checker; run the check above for your own result.What it checks
See whether your page states exactly one main headline — and what it says.
H1 count, first H1 text.
Reads the no-JS response only, never runs JS. One fetch shared with the full scan.
What good looks like
Good looks like exactly one H1 naming the page topic in the searcher's words — zero leaves the topic unstated, two make them compete. Non-HTML responses report na.
How to fix it
Keep exactly one H1 per page and demote the rest to H2/H3.
What the full scan adds
- All 34 checks in one pass — one URL, every category, a single report.
- Evidence on every row: the values found, why it fails, the fix, and a deep link per check.
- Your score against the global distribution — see where you stand.
- Sign in and the report is kept for 1 year; anonymous reports expire after 7 days.
Official source: Search Central, SEO starter guide · Rule: h1-heading v1 · checker library
Tracking a Google update? Run the update impact check or read the search update radar.
Frequently asked questions
Is the H1 heading checker free?
Yes — one free run without an account, with an anonymous preview. Sign in to save the full report and keep the evidence.
How often should I run it?
After every deploy that touches routing, templates or the checked file — and after each Google core update, to confirm nothing regressed.
Does the check run JavaScript?
No — it reads the no-JS response only, exactly what a crawler or AI agent sees when it fetches the URL.
How is this different from a full audit?
This page runs one check with its full criteria and fix notes. The free full scan runs every category at once and keeps the evidence per URL — use it once you know which checks matter.