• Success Criterion 2.3.1
  • Conformance level A

Ad or User-Generated Content Never Screened for Flashing

2.3.1 — Three Flashes or Below Threshold

Scenario

Setting

A grocery delivery app's shopping cart

What’s wrong

Ad creatives/user-generated content embedded without flash screening.

Example 

<iframe src="thirdparty-ad-network.com/banner" title="Advertisement"></iframe>
<!-- creative never checked for flash rate -->

Why it matters

A shopper checking out sees an unreviewed third-party ad strobe in the cart sidebar with no warning.

How to test

Review third-party ad creatives or user-generated content embedded on the page: unscreened content with flashing above threshold fails.

How to fix

Screen every ad and user-generated content partner's creative for flash rate before allowing it to embed.

<!-- Ad network contract requires: no content flashing above the WCAG 2.3.1 threshold -->
<iframe src="vetted-ad-network.com/banner" title="Advertisement"></iframe>

Outcome

A shopper checks out with only vetted, non-flashing ad content displayed in the cart.

Who is affected

Shoppers with photosensitive epilepsy are exposed to flash risk from ad content the site never screened.

Learn more

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