- Success Criterion 3.3.1
- Conformance level A
Form That Fails Silently With No Error Message at All
3.3.1 — Error Identification
Scenario
Setting
A weather app's forecast screen
What’s wrong
Submission fails with no error message at all (page reloads silently / button does nothing).
Example
During an audit of a weather app's forecast screen: submission fails with no error message at all (page reloads silently / button does nothing).
Why it matters
Everyone submitting forms — especially screen-reader and color-blind users who miss color-only cues. The practical effect on a weather app's forecast screen: they lose their progress and have to start over.
How to test
Submit the form with missing/invalid data: if the page reloads silently or nothing visibly happens, it fails.
How to fix
A text error message must identify each field in error and be exposed to assistive technology (announced automatically or focused).
Outcome
That one change on a weather app's forecast screen means they see exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.
Who is affected
Everyone submitting forms — especially screen-reader and color-blind users who miss color-only cues.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Form Submission With No Way to Identify What Went Wrong
- 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