• Success Criterion 1.3.5
  • Conformance level AA

Autocomplete Deliberately Disabled on a Personal-Data Field

1.3.5 — Identify Input Purpose

Scenario

Setting

An e-book reader's library page

What’s wrong

autocomplete="off" (or ="nope" hacks) on user-data fields — purpose no longer programmatically determinable.

Example 

<label for="email">Email for reading list updates</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="email" autocomplete="off">

Why it matters

A reader signing up for library updates has to type their email out fully every time, since the developer deliberately disabled the browser's autofill.

How to test

Try triggering browser autofill on the field: if autocomplete="off" (or a similar hack) is present on a personal-data field, autofill won't work and it fails.

How to fix

Never disable autocomplete on personal-data fields; if a false autofill suggestion is the real concern, fix the field's name or id instead.

<label for="email">Email for reading list updates</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="email" autocomplete="email">

Outcome

A reader's email now autofills correctly, with no need to type it out manually every visit.

Who is affected

Users with motor disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and anyone using a screen reader who relies on autofill to avoid retyping and misspelling their email.

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