- Success Criterion 1.3.1
- Conformance level A
Form Label That Disappears the Moment You Start Typing
1.3.1 — Info and Relationships
Scenario
Setting
An email client's compose window
What’s wrong
Placeholder-only "labels" that vanish on input.
Example
Picture an email client's compose window: placeholder-only "labels" that vanish on input.
Why it matters
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout. On an email client's compose window, this barrier means they lose track of what belongs to what.
How to test
Focus the field, then start typing: if the visible 'label' text disappears (because it was only a placeholder) with nothing left to identify the field, it fails.
How to fix
Add a persistent visible label — keep the placeholder as a supplementary hint only.
Outcome
Corrected, an email client's compose window now lets a visitor move through the content with confidence.
Who is affected
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
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