2.4.5 Multiple Ways

What does it mean?

People look for information in different ways. Some browse the menu, some search, some prefer a site map or an alphabetical index. Offering only one route makes the site harder to use for people who find that particular route difficult.

Each page must be reachable in at least two ways, for example main navigation plus a search function, a site map or a table of contents. Pages that are the result of a process or a step within it, such as checkout steps or a confirmation page, are exempt. Very small sites where every page is linked from the home page can meet this through links on every page.

Who does it help?

• People with cognitive disabilities who find deep menus hard to follow
• Screen reader users, for whom a search box or site map can be faster than navigation
• People with low vision who see only part of a large menu at once

Common failures

• Pages that can only be reached through one deep navigation path
• Content pages that are only linked from a single other page
• A search function that does not index all pages

How we test it

• evidence Evidence: our scanner collects material such as screenshots, lists and measurements.

Test question: Is there more than one way to find pages (navigation plus search, sitemap or index)?

A person decides every criterion. No criterion ever passes automatically.

How to fix it

<nav aria-label="Main">…</nav>
<!-- no search, no site map -->

<nav aria-label="Main">…</nav>
<search>
  <form action="/search" role="search">
    <label for="q">Search this site</label>
    <input id="q" name="q" type="search">
    <button type="submit">Search</button>
  </form>
</search>
<footer><a href="/sitemap">Site map</a></footer>

Navigation, search and a site map together give three independent ways to reach each page.

Practical tips

• A human-readable site map page is cheap to build and easy to keep up to date if it is generated.

Official source

Understanding WCAG 2.2 at the W3C: 2.4.5 Multiple Ways