• Success Criterion 3.2.6
  • Conformance level A

Self-Help Search Placed Differently Across the Same Site Section

3.2.6 — Consistent Help

Scenario

Setting

A hotel booking site's room-selection page

What’s wrong

Self-help search present in one relative position on support pages and elsewhere on product pages of the same process set.

Example 

<!-- Support pages -->
<aside class="help-search"><input type="search" placeholder="Search help articles"></aside>

<!-- Room selection page, same site, same process -->
<footer><input type="search" placeholder="Search help articles"></footer>

Why it matters

A guest who used the help search in the sidebar while reading policies can't find it in the same place while choosing a room, since it's dropped down into the footer there instead.

How to test

Compare the self-help search's position on support pages versus product pages: a different relative position across the set fails.

How to fix

Place the self-help search in the same region of the layout across support and transactional pages within the same site.

<!-- Room selection page -->
<aside class="help-search"><input type="search" placeholder="Search help articles"></aside>

Outcome

A guest searching for help finds the same search box in the same spot while booking a room.

Who is affected

Screen magnifier users tracking one fixed region for help search lose it the moment they move from support content to a booking page.

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