Missing or insufficient page title

document/title-empty

WCAG success criterion: 2.4.2 (level A)
Outcome class: Automatic. An automated check that can report a confirmed violation.
Area: Accessibility, Navigation & Operation
Default severity: high
axe-core rule: document-title

Why we flag this

Screen reader users cannot identify the page.

Empty or generic <title> tag.

What the rule checks

Scope. Top-level HTML documents that have a title element.

Expectation. Fails when the document's title element is empty or contains only whitespace. A title set by script (document.title) before the audit reads the DOM is not empty. Without a title element the rule does not apply (document/title-missing reports that). One finding at the title element.

Source. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.2 Page Titled; ACT 2779a5 (HTML page has non-empty title); HTML §4.2.2

Detection: shared; needs dom.

Failing example

The check reports a violation here. Corpus case empty_title. The page may contain further findings for other rules.

empty_title.htmlHTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title></title>
</head>
<body>
    <main>
        <h1>Page with an empty title element</h1>
        <p>The title tag above is present but empty.</p>
    </main>
</body>
</html>

Passing example

The check passes here and reports nothing. Corpus case structure_modal_dynamic. The page may contain further findings for other rules.

structure_modal_dynamic.htmlHTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
    <title></title>
    <style>
        body { font: 16px/1.5 sans-serif; margin: 0 16px; }
        button { min-width: 44px; min-height: 44px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <!-- A consent wall (#783): the application has not rendered yet, and a
         script sets the page language and the document title and opens a modal
         dialog after load.
         While the dialog is open, the page's headings and main landmark are
         missing for the moment of measurement, not necessarily for the page. -->
    <div id="app"></div>
    <dialog id="consent" aria-label="Cookie settings">
        <p>We use cookies to remember your shopping basket.</p>
        <form method="dialog">
            <button value="accept">Accept</button>
            <button value="reject">Reject</button>
        </form>
    </dialog>
    <script>
        document.documentElement.lang = 'en';
        document.title = 'Cookie settings – Acme Hardware';
        document.getElementById('consent').showModal();
    </script>
</body>
</html>

This page is generated from the rule catalogue and the rule contracts; see therule overview for how the outcome classes are derived.