- Success Criterion 2.4.3
- Conformance level A
- W3C reference F44
Tab Order That Jumps Around the Page Illogically
2.4.3 — Focus Order
Scenario
Setting
A news outlet's article page
What’s wrong
tabindex (keyboard-focus setting) values force a tab order that jumps around illogically, so keyboard users move through the page in a confusing sequence.
Example
.field-3 { order: 1; } .field-1 { order: 3; } /* tab order scrambled by CSS */Why it matters
Keyboard and screen-reader users who follow focus rather than the pointer.
How to test
Inspect the DOM for positive tabindex values (tabindex="1", "2", etc.): these override natural order and often create an illogical sequence — check by tabbing through.
How to fix
Remove positive tabindex (keyboard-focus setting) values and let the DOM order define a logical tab sequence.
<!-- Reorder the actual DOM nodes to match the intended focus sequence -->Focus order should follow a sequence that preserves meaning, matching how the content is meant to be read.
Outcome
On a news outlet's article page, this barrier is gone for keyboard and screen-reader users who follow focus rather than the pointer — they get the same result as anyone else here.
Who is affected
Keyboard and screen-reader users who follow focus rather than the pointer.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
- Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Dialog That Opens Far From the Button That Triggered It
- Visual Layout Order That Doesn’t Match the Keyboard Tab Order
- Modal That Opens Without Moving Keyboard Focus Into It
- Modal That Closes Without Returning Focus to Its Trigger
- Expanded Content That Never Receives Keyboard Focus
- Hidden Navigation Items That Are Still Reachable by Tab