- Success Criterion 3.3.3
- Conformance level AA
Taken Username With No Suggested Alternatives Offered
3.3.3 — Error Suggestion
Scenario
Setting
A ride-hailing app's trip booking screen
What’s wrong
Username taken but no availability alternatives or guidance offered where feasible.
Example
<span class="error">Invalid input</span>Why it matters
People with cognitive disabilities and anyone stalled by vague validation messages.
How to test
Enter a taken username: if there's no suggestion of available alternatives or guidance where that's feasible, it fails.
How to fix
The error message must tell the user how to fix the problem — the expected format, range, or valid options.
<span class="error">Enter a year between 1990 and 2026</span>Error text should suggest the fix — the expected format or valid range — not just flag that something's wrong.
Outcome
On a ride-hailing app's trip booking screen, this barrier is gone for people with cognitive disabilities and anyone stalled by vague validation messages — they can finish what they came here to do.
Who is affected
People with cognitive disabilities and anyone stalled by vague validation messages.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Rejected Input With No Guidance on How to Fix It
- Invalid Entry Message With No Hint at the Expected Format
- Rejected Date Entry With No Explanation of the Expected Format
- Rejected Password With No List of the Unmet Requirements
- Rejected File Upload With No Stated Size or Type Limits
- Rejected Entry With No Suggested Near-Match From a Known List