2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) — WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A): what it requires, a common e-commerce accessibility failure, and how to fix it.
This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines hub → Operable → 2.4.3 Focus Order
2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)
What it requires: When a user tabs through a page, focus moves in an order that preserves meaning and operability — not necessarily left-to-right-top-to-bottom exactly, but logically consistent with the visual layout and reading order.
Common failure: A checkout form uses CSS to visually reorder fields (e.g., a two-column layout with order or grid-template-areas), so tabbing jumps between fields in an order that doesn’t match what’s visually next, confusing sighted keyboard users and screen-reader users alike.
Fix it: Keep the DOM/source order aligned with the intended tab order; if visual reordering via CSS is necessary, verify tab order still makes sense afterward rather than assuming it does.
In 2.4 Navigable: ← 2.4.2 Page Titled · 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) →
This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a person for accuracy before publication.