- Success Criterion 2.4.1
- Conformance level A
Skip Link Placed After the Navigation It’s Meant to Skip
2.4.1 — Bypass Blocks
Scenario
Setting
A news outlet's article page
What’s wrong
Skip link placed after the nav it's meant to skip.
Example
Watch a news outlet's article page closely and you'll spot this: skip link placed after the nav it's meant to skip.
Why it matters
Keyboard and screen-reader users who otherwise re-traverse repeated headers on every page. In this case (a news outlet's article page), they can't operate the feature without a mouse.
How to test
Press Tab on load: if the skip link is positioned after the navigation block it's meant to skip, it fails to serve its purpose.
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
Once corrected, a news outlet's article page lets them reach and operate the control without a mouse.
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 Broken and Doesn’t Actually Move Focus
- Skip Link That’s Never Visible, Even on Keyboard Focus
- Landmarks Used as a Bypass but Missing Key Content
- Bypass Mechanism With No Heading to Land On