• Success Criterion 3.2.2
  • Conformance level A

Input Event That Unexpectedly Spawns a Popup Window

3.2.2 — On Input

Scenario

Setting

A job board's application form

What’s wrong

Input events opening popups/spawning windows.

Example 

resumeField.addEventListener('input', () => {
  window.open('/resume-tips', 'tips', 'width=400,height=500');
});

Why it matters

Every keystroke in the resume text field spawns a popup window with tips, so an applicant typing their experience gets repeatedly interrupted by new windows stealing focus.

How to test

Interact with an input control (change a value): if it spawns a popup or new window unexpectedly, it fails.

How to fix

Only open a secondary window from a control the user activates on purpose, never from ordinary typing.

<button type="button" onclick="window.open('/resume-tips', 'tips', 'width=400,height=500')">
  Show resume tips
</button>

Outcome

An applicant types their resume details without any popup interrupting their train of thought.

Who is affected

Screen reader users get flooded with window-open announcements and lose track of the application form they were filling out.

Learn more

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