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Accessibility
Why does moving content on websites need a pause function?
Moving content needs a pause function because motion inevitably draws the eye: next to a running image carousel, people with attention or reading disorders can't take in the actual text. WCAG therefore requires: anything that moves, blinks, or scrolls automatically and lasts longer than five seconds must be pausable, stoppable, or hideable. This also applies to self-updating content such as tickers.
Carousels, marquees, and background videos
The most common perpetual movers are homepage carousels that change the image every few seconds, background videos behind the main heading, and news tickers. For many visitors they're a test of patience, for some a real barrier: someone who reads slowly loses their place in the sentence when the image behind it changes. Someone with an attention disorder can't tear their eyes away from the motion. The solution is simple — a visible pause button right on the moving element, operable by mouse and keyboard. Even better: the carousel doesn't change automatically at all, but only when visitors move it forward themselves.
How the audit service checks moving content
The automated pass reliably detects the outdated blink and marquee elements in the source code — they count as a violation of this criterion. Modern carousels and background videos, by contrast, are technically ordinary building blocks whose behaviour only becomes apparent by watching them: does it run for longer than five seconds, is there a pause button, is it reachable by keyboard. A human judges these questions. The audit report lists every WCAG criterion individually — passed, violated, needs manual review, or not automatable — making visible which part of the claim was measured and which remains open.
- List everything on your homepage that moves on its own: carousel, video, ticker, animated tiles.
- Give each of these elements a visible pause button that's also reachable by keyboard.
- Switch carousels to manual advancing — visitors decide for themselves when the next image appears.
- Remove blink and marquee elements from the source code entirely; they belong to another era of the web.
- Respect the operating system's "reduce motion" setting and turn animations off accordingly.
FAQ
Does an image carousel need a pause button?
Yes, as soon as it automatically advances for longer than five seconds. WCAG requires a way to pause, stop, or hide it that's operable by mouse and keyboard. The simplest solution: the carousel only changes on a visitor's click or swipe. That takes nothing away from anyone and ends the test of patience for everyone.
Are background videos allowed on the homepage?
Allowed, yes, but with conditions: if the video runs for longer than five seconds, it needs a visible way to pause it. It should also start without sound and respect the operating system's "reduce motion" setting. Also consider the side effects: background videos cost loading time and distract from the content that's supposed to sell.
What does the automated check detect for moving content?
The outdated blink and marquee elements in the source code can be reliably detected — they're treated as a violation. Whether a modern carousel has a reachable pause button, and how long an animation runs, is judged by a human through observation. The audit report clearly separates the two, so you know which claim the measurement actually supports.