selfheading

Selfheading is a term used in information design to describe a heading that directly summarizes or encapsulates the content that follows. It functions as a navigational and semantic marker, helping readers and automated systems understand what a section contains. Selfheadings are intended to be concise, keyword-focused, and aligned with the topic of the text they introduce.

In practice, selfheadings can be authored by writers to reflect the section’s focus, or generated automatically from metadata, introductory sentences, or content models within a content management system. The goal is to provide a stable, informative label that facilitates scanning, indexing, and comprehension. Selfheadings also support accessibility, aiding screen readers in establishing a clear document structure and improving the experience for users who rely on keyboard navigation or linear reading.

Variants of the concept include self-descriptive headings, which explicitly state the content, and self-referential headings, which refer to the section’s own existence or purpose. Effective use emphasizes accuracy, brevity, and consistency with the actual content, while avoiding tautology or forced wording that can annoy readers or clash with style guides.

Critics note that overly repetitive or rigid selfheadings can reduce readability or clash with aesthetic considerations in design. When applied judiciously, however, selfheadings can enhance discoverability, clarify structure, and support both human readers and automated processing in complex documents.

See also: headings, metadata, information architecture, accessibility.