- Success Criterion 1.3.5
- Conformance level AA
- W3C reference F107
Autocomplete Attribute Set to the Wrong Value for the Field
1.3.5 — Identify Input Purpose
Scenario
Setting
A nonprofit's donation form
What’s wrong
The autocomplete attribute has an invalid or wrong value (e.g., 'given-name' on a surname field) — browsers and tools can't identify or autofill the field.
Example
A QA pass on a nonprofit's donation form turns this up: the autocomplete attribute has an invalid or wrong value (e.g., 'given-name' on a surname field) — browsers and tools can't identify or autofill the field.
Why it matters
People with motor or cognitive disabilities who rely on browser autofill for personal data. The practical effect on a nonprofit's donation form: they can't tell what a field wants or why it failed.
How to test
Inspect the field's autocomplete value in DevTools: it must exactly match a valid Input Purpose token for what it collects (e.g., "tel" for phone) — a mismatched token fails.
How to fix
Use the exact valid autocomplete token (code telling browsers what the field collects) that matches the field's purpose.
Outcome
That one change on a nonprofit's donation form means they complete the form without guessing.
Who is affected
People with motor or cognitive disabilities who rely on browser autofill for personal data.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
- Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Personal-Data Field With No Autocomplete Attribute at All
- Autocomplete Deliberately Disabled on a Personal-Data Field
- Autocomplete Token Placed on the Wrong HTML Element
- Custom Form Widget That Drops the Native Autocomplete Behavior
- Autocomplete Section Token Used Incorrectly, Breaking Its Value
- Login or Checkout Iframe That Strips Out Autocomplete Support