- Success Criterion 3.3.3
- Conformance level AA
Rejected Entry With No Suggested Near-Match From a Known List
3.3.3 — Error Suggestion
Scenario
Setting
A community forum's discussion thread
What’s wrong
Search-style inputs with known valid value lists rejecting entries and not suggesting near matches while they're computable.
Example
A tester reviewing a community forum's discussion thread finds this: search-style inputs with known valid value lists rejecting entries and not suggesting near matches while they're computable.
Why it matters
People with cognitive disabilities and anyone stalled by vague validation messages. The practical effect on a community forum's discussion thread: they can't tell what a field wants or why it failed.
How to test
Enter a near-miss value in a field with a known valid list (e.g., a misspelled city name): if no near-match suggestion is offered where feasible, it fails.
How to fix
The error message must tell the user how to fix the problem — the expected format, range, or valid options.
Outcome
That one change on a community forum's discussion thread means they see exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.
Who is affected
People with cognitive disabilities and anyone stalled by vague validation messages.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
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