Writing and editing Structuring content

Overview

Research shows that the average reader only reads between 20% and 28% (opens in a new tab)  of the text on a web page. It is important to get the point of your content across as concisely as possible. 

Most users visit the website to complete specific tasks. They look for information related to their task and scan the content, instead of reading it from top to bottom. 

To support this behaviour, treat your content as a collection of shorter information sections with clear headings, rather than one long page. 

Frontload your content

The most important information in your content should be placed at the start of each sentence, paragraph or section. This is called frontloading. 

We use the inverted pyramid model, which recommends ordering content by its importance, to achieve this. This is best practice for writing online content. 

The inverted pyramid is structured in three layers: 

1. Information that users must have to make the release valuable. 
2. Information that adds to the user’s understanding of the content. 
3. Information that is helpful, but not essential. 

Descriptive headings and subheadings

Headings and subheadings help users to scan your content and find the information they need to complete specific tasks. They are also important for people using assistive technologies to navigate a page. 

Titles of releases should use the heading level 1 (H1) format and subheadings under that should move logically through the heading levels. The lowest heading level we can use on our web pages is H4. More information about heading levels is available in our Titles and headings guidance (opens in a new tab) . 

Do: 

• ensure your headings are concise, frontloaded, and accurately describe the content of the section so they are easy for users to scan 
• add subheadings to draw attention to themes in the data, for example, age, sex or education 

Do not: 

• place multiple headings one after another, without text to separate them
• skip a heading level (for example, do not jump from H2 to H4), as screen reader users may navigate content using heading levels 

We use standardised section headings in our content to provide users with a consistent experience, regardless of topic. 

More information is available in our statistical article guidance.

Avoid questions as section headings

Avoid using questions as section headings. They take users longer to scan than simple headings. This makes it harder to find information quickly. 

Avoid section headings associated with print publications

Headings associated with print publications and academic writing are often generic and do not clearly tell the user what they can expect to find in each section. 

Avoid using the following sections and headings in your content: 

• Abstract 
• Executive summary 
• Disclaimer 
• Introduction 
• Background information 
• Conclusion 
• Authors (or any section that names individual contributors to the content) 
• Background notes 
• Appendices and annexes 

Instead, use headings that will clearly and concisely describe the content of each section to the user, and place each named section where users are most likely to look for it. 

For example, an abstract or executive summary can often be replaced with a short, clear page summary. A lengthy disclaimer section, which users are likely to skip, could be replaced with a clear warning panel to highlight important quality caveats. 

Writing concisely

Write your content based on your top user needs

Think about the top three to five user needs when writing your content. This ensures you only include useful and relevant information.  

Check every piece of content against your prioritised user needs – if it does not meet a need, remove it. Avoid copying and pasting from previous editions, as this leads to repetition and longer content over time. 

View our guidance on plain language (opens in a new tab)  for more information about writing concise content

Say it once and create clear user journeys

Remove content that:  

• does not change between editions
• applies to multiple releases,
• does not directly relate to the identified user needs or purpose of the page 

Link to this content instead of repeating it. This reduces duplication and time spent on content maintenance. 

Read more about how to create clear and consistent user journeys to supporting content in the related links component and guidance.  

Structuring paragraphs and sentences

Like sections, each paragraph and sentence should also be frontloaded, with the most important information at the start. Check every piece of content against your prioritised user needs. If it does not meet a need, remove it. 

When writing your content, your paragraphs should: 

• include no more than four sentences in a logical order 
• make complete sense on their own 
• cover one subject 

Individual sentences should be no longer than 25 words. If they are any longer, divide them into two sentences. 

A sentence in the middle of a paragraph should not start with a numeral, as screen readers can mistake a full stop for a decimal point. If it does, the sentence should be restructured. 

Using accordions

Accordions (opens in a new tab)  allow users to expand or hide information that is not essential to understand the page content. They help reduce the amount of time users spend scrolling through content on a page. 

Use accordions for:  

• chart and table footnotes 
• explaining relevant terms or definitions 
• subsections in a detailed analysis section