• Success Criterion 2.2.2
  • Conformance level A

Looping Animated GIF With No Way to Freeze It

2.2.2 — Pause, Stop, Hide

Scenario

Setting

A calendar app's event-creation form

What’s wrong

Animated GIFs looping indefinitely alongside content, no freeze mechanism.

Example

<img src="confetti-loop.gif" alt="">

Why it matters

A user typing event details is repeatedly pulled away by a GIF that never stops looping nearby.

How to test

Time any looping animated GIF alongside content: if it loops indefinitely with no freeze/pause mechanism, it fails.

How to fix

Swap endless GIFs for a short animation or a static image with an optional replay button.

<img src="confetti-still.png" alt="">
<!-- or use a short video with a controls attribute instead of an endless GIF -->

Outcome

A user fills out the event form without a looping animation competing for their attention.

Who is affected

Users with attention disorders or migraines find the constant looping animation hard to work alongside.

Learn more