WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.3: Error Suggestion (Level AA)
3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) — what it requires, a common failure example, and how to fix it. Part of WCAG 2.1's 3.3 Input Assistance guideline under the Understandable principle.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines hub → Understandable → 3.3 Input Assistance
3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA)
Input Assistance is the guideline most directly relevant to checkout and account forms — it governs whether people can tell what a field wants, whether errors are described clearly, and whether a costly mistake (an accidental purchase, a wrong shipping address) can be caught before it’s final.
This page is educational technical reference material, not legal advice. Meeting WCAG 2.1 does not by itself determine legal compliance with the ADA or any other law — consult qualified counsel for legal risk questions.
Plain-language explanation: When the system can figure out what’s wrong and knows a specific fix, it should suggest it — not just flag that something’s broken.
Common failure: A password field rejects an entry with “Invalid password” but never states which requirement failed (length, a required character type), leaving the user to guess through repeated attempts.
Remediation: State the specific unmet requirement in the error text (“Password needs at least one number”) rather than a generic rejection message.
In this guideline — 3.3 Input Assistance: 3.3.1 Error Identification (A) · 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A) · 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (AA) · 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (AA) · 3.3.5 Help (AAA) · 3.3.6 Error Prevention (All) (AAA)
← Previous: 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A) · Next: 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (AA) →
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This page is educational content about technical accessibility practice, not legal advice. Meeting WCAG 2.1 does not guarantee legal compliance with the ADA or any other law. Consult qualified counsel for legal risk questions.
This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a person for accuracy before publication.