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Accessibility
Why must the same function be named the same way everywhere?
The same function must be named the same way everywhere, because visitors recognise functions by their name. If the cart is called "cart" on one page, "shopping bag" on the next, and "your selection" at checkout, it looks like three different things — even though it's the same one. WCAG criterion 3.2.4 requires consistent identification: same function, same name, same icon.
Recognition carries usability
An everyday example: in your contact area, the button says "Send message", on the product page "Submit", and in the careers area "Go". Sighted visitors bridge that gap with a glance at the context. For blind visitors, though, the name is all they have — their screen reader can read out a list of every button on a page, and in that list only the label counts. Three names for the same action mean three times the learning effort, and constant uncertainty about whether they really mean the same thing. The same applies to icons: an envelope that means "write an email" in one place and "newsletter" in another is confusing. A fixed set of names and icons per function solves this.
How the audit service checks consistent identification
The automated measurement checks every single page for whether control elements have an accessible name at all — that feeds into other criteria such as 4.1.2. Whether the same purpose carries the same name across the entire site, however, is a question of meaning that a machine can barely decide: "Submit" and "Send message" are simply two different strings of characters to a program. Our report therefore honestly marks criterion 3.2.4 as a manual check point. At the Gold Standard level, an auditor compares recurring functions across several pages — search, contact, cart, download — and judges whether names and icons match.
- Create a short glossary: what does each function get called on your site? One term per function, binding across all pages.
- Compare the labels on your form buttons across the whole site and make them consistent.
- Use exactly one meaning per icon — the envelope then stands for the same action everywhere.
- Share the glossary with your agency and editorial team, so new pages adopt the established names.
FAQ
What does consistent identification mean under WCAG?
Consistent identification means: elements with the same function are named and displayed consistently across the entire site. Search is called "search" everywhere, the cart is called "cart" everywhere, and an icon stands for the same action everywhere. That way visitors recognise functions instantly, instead of having to decode them anew on every page. That's what WCAG criterion 3.2.4 requires.
Why are consistent labels so important for blind visitors?
Screen readers can read out all the buttons or links on a page as a list. In that list, only the label counts — the visual context is missing. If the same function carries the same name on every page, a blind visitor recognises it instantly. Changing names force them to explore each page anew and guess whether new terms hide the same action.
How is consistent identification checked?
Whether two labels mean the same purpose is a question of meaning — that takes human judgment. Our automated measurement therefore openly marks the criterion as a manual check point, instead of silently passing it. At the Gold Standard level, an auditor compares recurring functions such as search, contact, and cart across several pages and judges the names and icons.