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 violation is a select list that loads a new page as soon as it changes. Anyone going through the entries with the keyboard triggers a page change on every entry, and never reaches the one they wanted.
- 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.
FAQ
May a select field change the page?
Not by itself. It's allowed with a confirmation button next to it — or if it's announced beforehand that the selection changes the context.
What exactly does "consistent navigation" mean?
Recurring navigation blocks appear in the same relative order on every page. Adding entries is allowed; reordering them isn't.