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Accessibility
Why does every form field need a label?
Every form field needs a label, because otherwise visitors have to guess what belongs there. The label stays permanently visible at the field — "First name", "Email address", "Message" — and is technically linked to it, so screen readers announce it. Grey placeholder text in the field isn't enough: it disappears while typing. WCAG criterion 3.3.2 requires labels or instructions for every input.
Placeholder text in the field doesn't replace a label
Many modern forms skip visible labels and instead write grey placeholder text directly into the fields. That looks tidy, but it creates three problems. First: as soon as the visitor starts typing, the text disappears — anyone briefly distracted no longer knows, halfway through a form, which field was which. Second: the grey text has low contrast and is hard to read for people with impaired vision. Third: without a technical link, the screen reader only announces "input field" when it reaches the field — the blind visitor never learns what belongs there. A persistent label above or next to the field, technically linked to it, solves all three problems at once.
How the audit service measures the labels
The audit service counts every visible input field on your page in a real browser and checks each one for a technically linked label — as a classic label element, an enclosing label, or an accessible name in the source code. If every field is labelled, the criterion counts as passed. If even one field is left without a label, the report flags a violation and names the number of affected fields along with evidence. An unlabelled field also counts against the robustness criterion 4.1.2, since it then lacks an accessible name too. Whether the existing labels are worded accurately is judged by a human at the Gold Standard level.
- Go through every form on your website and check: does every field have a permanently visible label?
- Replace placeholder-only solutions with real labels above the field — placeholder text may stay as an addition.
- Ask your agency to technically link every label to its field, so screen readers announce it.
- For fields with a required format, add an instruction, such as "Date in DD.MM.YYYY format", visible before the input.
- Fill in a form halfway and check whether you can still tell which field is which afterwards.
FAQ
Is placeholder text in the input field enough as a label?
Placeholder text fails criterion 3.3.2 as the sole label. It disappears as soon as the visitor types, is often too low in contrast, and is handled inconsistently by screen readers. The label belongs permanently visible at the field and technically linked to it. Placeholder text may supplement it — for example with a sample value — but never replace it.
What does a technically linked label mean?
Technically linked means: the source code records which label belongs to which field — usually via a label element that points to the field. Only this link lets a screen reader announce the right name when it reaches the field. A text that only sits visually next to the field remains unassigned for blind visitors.
How does the audit service check for missing field labels?
The measurement engine counts every visible input field on the page and checks each one for a technically linked label. If every field has one, the criterion counts as passed; every unlabelled field leads to a violation, which the report states with a count and evidence. An unlabelled field also counts against criterion 4.1.2, since the field then lacks an accessible name.