What this means

This issue checks whether a heading describes the content that follows it. Descriptive headings can help users understand page structure and find information more easily.

The "heading is not descriptive" flag is triggered by rule SIA-R115, which checks that headings describe the topic or purpose of the content.

Scope

This issue may appear on any page that uses headings.

• For person profile content (specifically, when using the person's first and last name is used as the heading): This issue has recently been reviewed and is believed to be a false positive; however, Siteimprove has rejected this false positive report.
• For other content: The issue should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Why is this a false positive

Even when Siteimprove does not accept a false positive report, this issue may still be a false positive in practice.

This check relies on an automated assessment of whether a heading describes the content that follows it. Automated testing can identify possible problems, but it cannot always interpret meaning the way a user does. A heading may be clear because of the page context, content type, or familiar naming patterns, even if Siteimprove does not evaluate it that way.

This is especially true for person profile content, where a person’s name may serve as a clear and meaningful heading for the content that follows. Because this rule depends on automated interpretation rather than human judgment, it may sometimes flag headings that are understandable and useful for real users.

What action is needed

• For person profile content: No action is needed. The short-term guidance is to ignore this potential issue and focus on other A and AA accessibility issues.
• For other content: Review the heading and use editorial judgment. Update only when a more descriptive heading would genuinely help users. Do not make changes simply to satisfy your Siteimprove reporting score.