• Success Criterion 3.2.3
  • Conformance level AA

Search Box That Moves to a Different Spot on Every Page

3.2.3 — Consistent Navigation

Scenario

Setting

A survey tool's question builder

What’s wrong

Search box relocating (header right vs — sidebar) across pages of the same set.

Example 

<!-- Question list page: search in header -->
<header><input type="search" placeholder="Search questions"></header>

<!-- Template library page: search in sidebar -->
<aside><input type="search" placeholder="Search templates"></aside>

Why it matters

A survey author who learns to reach for the top-right search box on the question list can't find it there on the template library, since it's moved into a side panel.

How to test

Check the search box's position across pages of the same set (header-right vs — sidebar): relocating without reason fails.

How to fix

Keep the search control's relative position fixed across the tool's pages, even if the thing being searched changes.

<!-- Same relative position on every page -->
<header><input type="search" placeholder="Search"></header>

Outcome

A survey author finds search in the same spot whether they're browsing questions or templates.

Who is affected

Users with low vision using screen magnification lose the search box outside their zoomed viewport when its position isn't fixed.

Learn more

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