This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Time limits and moving content: control stays with the user
Wherever a time limit applies, the user must be able to switch it off, extend it, or adjust it. And anything that moves, blinks, or advances automatically for more than five seconds needs a way to pause it.
- Practical case number one is the auto-advancing image carousel on the homepage. It keeps running while someone reads the caption — and for people who read more slowly or use magnification, the text is gone before they finish it.
- Case number two is session expiry in forms. If a login or an ordering process expires with no warning beforehand and no way to extend it, entries get lost. This especially affects people who need more time for the same input.
FAQ
Does an image carousel need a pause button?
If it advances automatically and runs for more than five seconds: yes. The alternative is not to run it automatically at all — that solves the problem too.
What applies to sessions that expire for security reasons?
They may expire, but the user must be warned beforehand and able to extend it. Pure security exceptions only exist where an extension would undo the security.