- Success Criterion 3.3.1
- Conformance level A
3.3.1 · Error Identification
Lesson overview · Error Identification
In plain language
When input is rejected, the error must be identified in text and clearly say which field is wrong.
Who it affects
Everyone submitting forms — especially screen-reader and color-blind users who miss color-only cues.
How to check
Submit forms empty/with bad data: a text message must name each problem field (not just red borders) and be announced to screen readers.
Common misconception
A red border on an invalid field is not an error message. This rule requires the error to exist as text that a screen reader can actually discover and read.
Learn more
Scenarios in this lesson
- Form Submission With No Way to Identify What Went Wrong
- Form That Fails Silently With No Error Message at All
- Form Errors Marked Only by a Red Border, With No Text
- Generic ‘There Were Errors’ Message With No Field Named
- Error Text That’s Visible but Never Announced to Screen Readers
- Error Summary That Names Fields Too Vaguely to Identify Them
- Error Toast That Disappears Before It Can Be Read
- Form Reset Silently After a Failed Server-Side Validation
- Inline Error Icon With No Accessible Text Explaining It
- Error Shown Only Through a Placeholder or Color Change
- Custom Field Marked Invalid With No Text Description Anywhere