• Success Criterion 2.3.1
  • Conformance level A

2.3.1 · Three Flashes or Below Threshold

Lesson overview · Three Flashes or Below Threshold

In plain language

Nothing may flash more than 3 times per second (seizure risk).

Who it affects

People with photosensitive epilepsy and others sensitive to rapid flashing.

How to check

Review videos, GIFs and effects for rapid flashing; use the PEAT tool for anything borderline. Worked example — A grocery delivery app's shopping cart: review third-party ad creatives or user-generated content embedded on the page: unscreened content with flashing above threshold fails.

Common misconception

Marketing teams sometimes assume flashing is only a concern for full-screen strobe effects. Even a smaller flashing region can trigger seizures if it covers enough of the visual field and flashes fast enough. Real example: on an email client's compose window, a loading animation flashes bright red and white more than three times per second while the compose window saves a draft, with no way to disable or reduce it.

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Scenarios in this lesson