- Success Criterion 2.4.1
- Conformance level A
Skip Link That’s Broken and Doesn’t Actually Move Focus
2.4.1 — Bypass Blocks
Scenario
Setting
An online clothing store's product listing page
What’s wrong
Skip link present but broken: target id missing, or target not focusable so focus jumps back.
Example
This shows up on an online clothing store's product listing page: skip link present but broken: target id missing, or target not focusable so focus jumps back.
Why it matters
Keyboard and screen-reader users who otherwise re-traverse repeated headers on every page. Here, on an online clothing store's product listing page, the result is they can't complete the task using a keyboard alone.
How to test
Press Tab on load to reveal the skip link, then activate it: if the target id doesn't exist or isn't focusable, focus doesn't actually move and it fails.
How to fix
A working bypass (a skip link visible on focus, landmarks (coded page regions), or headings) must let users jump straight to the main content.
Outcome
After the fix, the same visitor to an online clothing store's product listing page can now complete the task using only the keyboard.
Who is affected
Keyboard and screen-reader users who otherwise re-traverse repeated headers on every page.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Page With No Way to Skip Repeated Navigation
- No Skip Link, Landmarks, or Headings to Bypass Navigation
- Skip Link That’s Never Visible, Even on Keyboard Focus
- Skip Link Placed After the Navigation It’s Meant to Skip
- Landmarks Used as a Bypass but Missing Key Content
- Bypass Mechanism With No Heading to Land On