This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung

Accessibility

Why should a click only trigger on release?

A click should only trigger on release, so users can back out of a mistap: anyone who notices their finger is on the wrong button can drag it aside and release outside it — nothing happens. If a function triggers on press instead, that pull-back doesn't exist. WCAG criterion 2.5.2 "Pointer Cancellation" requires exactly this way to back out.

The pull-back is built-in error tolerance

On small screens, buttons sit close together, and fingers are wider than a mouse pointer. Mistaps are part of everyday use — especially for people with tremors or limited fine motor control, who also touch the screen unintentionally. Triggering on release makes every one of these mistaps harmless: pressing down isn't a decision yet, only releasing on the element counts. Browsers and operating systems work this way by default. Problems arise when scripts override this behaviour and already react to the press — for example to feel faster. Exempt are functions where the press itself is essential, such as a piano key in a music app.

How the audit service reports this criterion

Whether a function triggers on press or on release only becomes apparent by actually triggering it — and that's exactly what our passivity commitment rules out: the measurement engine doesn't click any functions on your website, submits nothing, and orders nothing. An automatic judgment on this criterion would therefore not be backed by evidence. The audit report openly marks it as a point for manual review. This honesty has a system behind it: every WCAG criterion appears in the report individually with its status, so it stays visible what was measured and what a human judged.

Examples

Triggering when pressed

Not met

knopf.addEventListener("mousedown", loeschen);

Passes

knopf.addEventListener("click", loeschen);
// click löst beim Loslassen aus; wer daneben liegt, zieht den Zeiger weg und nichts passiert

With click instead of mousedown, a mistake can be canceled before it works.

Test your most important buttons on a phone: press, drag your finger aside, release outside — nothing should happen.
Ask your agency to tie actions to release, not to press.
Check special cases like press-and-hold or dragging: these also need a harmless way to back out.
Give consequential actions like "Delete permanently" an additional confirmation prompt — the ability to back out and confirmation complement each other.

Deutsche Fassung dieser Seite

FAQ

What does pointer cancellation mean in WCAG?

Pointer cancellation means: a function must not trigger already when a finger or mouse button is pressed down. Only release on the element counts — and anyone who drags aside beforehand and releases outside it backs out without triggering anything. That way every mistap stays harmless. Exceptions apply only where the press itself is the function, such as with a piano key.

Who does triggering on release protect?

Above all, people with tremors, spasms, or limited fine motor control, who touch screens unintentionally more often or land on the wrong button. But everyone else too: everyone occasionally mistaps on their phone. The ability to back out turns a mistap into a harmless correction instead of an accidental order, deletion, or redirect.

Do ordinary buttons violate this criterion?

Usually not: browsers and operating systems trigger clicks on release by default. It only becomes critical when custom scripts already react to the press, to feel faster. Ask your agency about this specifically — and test it yourself with the mistap trick: press, drag, release outside.