Placeholder Text With Contrast Too Low to Read Easily

1.4.3 — Contrast (Minimum)

Scenario

A calendar app's event-creation form

Placeholder text below 4.5:1 (it's still text content users must read).

input::placeholder { color: #c7c7c7; }
<!-- "Add event title, e.g. Team Standup" at roughly 1.8:1 on white, far below 4.5:1 -->

A user creating a calendar event can't read the placeholder hint showing the expected title format, so they type it inconsistently.

Click into an empty input and measure the placeholder text's contrast against the field background: it needs at least 4.5:1, same as normal text.

Darken placeholder text to roughly 4.5:1 (about 4.54:1 at #767676 on white); placeholders are still text content that must meet the minimum.

input::placeholder { color: #767676; }

The user reads the example format clearly and enters a matching event title on the first attempt.

Low-vision users, who rely on placeholder examples to understand what format a field expects.