<h3>: The H3 Element

Last updated: 2026-10-13

<h3>The H3 Element

The <h3> element is a level-3 heading used below <h2> for subsections, organizing finer content structure.

Category	Text Content
Content Model	Flow content, heading content
Allowed Parents	Any element that accepts flow or heading content
Content Tag	Yes — requires closing `</h3>` tag
Status	Standard

📝 Syntax

<h3>Level 3 heading</h3>

See all global attributes → See all event attributes →

▶ Example

Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:

▶ Try it

🌐 Browser Support

Browser	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Safari	Opera
<h3>	✓ v1	✓ v12	✓ v1	✓ v1	✓ v1
Supported in all major browsers

❓ FAQ

QDoes h3 need an h2 before it?

ANot forced by the spec, but strongly advised for outline quality: <h3> should be a subsection of some h2. An h3 directly under h1 skips a level, breaks the hierarchy, and throws off screen readers' by-heading navigation.

QCan h3 be used for card or list-item titles?

AYes, that is a common use: each card in a card grid gets an h3 — provided the page has a clear h1→h2 hierarchy and the cards belong to some h2 section. Without that context, a bolded <p> is more honest.

QHow different should h3 and h2 styles be?

ANo requirement — decreasing font size is convention, not law. What matters is a visible hierarchy (any mix of size, weight, and spacing), and that h3 never looks more prominent than h2.

<h3> — headings tutorial

📚 Related Tutorials

HTML Headings

HTML Headings Tutorial

Learn heading hierarchy.

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