This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Predictability: no surprises with focus and input
Focusing an element or filling in a field must not, by itself, change the page, open a window, or submit the form. And recurring elements must sit in the same place and have the same name on every page.
- The most common finding is the selection list, which immediately loads the page when changed. Who goes with the keyboard through the entries, triggers a page change with each entry and never arrives at the desired.
- Consistency sounds like a matter of taste, but it's measurable: if the same function is called "Search" on one page and "Find" on the next, every user has to relearn it — and anyone who orients by position loses their bearings entirely.
- Since WCAG 2.2, consistent help is included too: if there's a help access point, it should be in the same place everywhere.
