- Success Criterion 1.4.2
- Conformance level A
- W3C reference F23
Page Audio That Autoplays Past 3 Seconds With No Control
1.4.2 — Audio Control
Scenario
Setting
A car-rental site's checkout flow
What’s wrong
Sound starts playing automatically, lasts longer than 3 seconds, and there is no way to turn it off or lower it separately.
Example
<audio src="intro.mp3" autoplay></audio>Why it matters
Screen-reader users competing with page audio, and people with auditory sensitivity.
How to test
Load the page and time any audio that starts automatically: if it plays over 3 seconds with no visible stop/pause/volume control, it fails.
How to fix
Do not autoplay audio beyond 3 seconds, or provide an immediate stop/volume control.
<audio src="intro.mp3" autoplay controls></audio>Autoplaying audio past 3 seconds needs a visible, reachable way to pause, stop, or lower its volume.
Outcome
On a car-rental site's checkout flow, this barrier is gone for screen-reader users competing with page audio — they can complete the task without hitting this wall.
Who is affected
Screen-reader users competing with page audio, and people with auditory sensitivity.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
- Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Autoplaying Video or Audio With No Way to Pause It
- Background Music That Autostarts With No Visible Player
- Autoplaying Hero Video With Sound and No Pause Button
- Embedded Ad or Carousel iframe That Starts Playing Audio
- Audio That Starts on a Single-Page-App Route Change
- Looping Notification Sound With No Way to Turn It Off