3.2.1 On Focus
Moving focus to an element never triggers a major change on its own, such as opening a new window, submitting a form or jumping to another page.
Level APrinciple 3: Understandable
What does it mean?
When someone tabs to a link, button or field, only the focus should move. Nothing else big should happen: no new page, no pop-up window, no form submission, no focus jumping elsewhere.
Small changes are fine, such as showing a focus outline or a tooltip. A change of context is only allowed when the user actively does something, for example presses Enter or clicks a button.
Who does it help?
- Keyboard users, who must pass through elements to reach others
- Screen reader users, who can lose their place when the page changes without warning
- People with cognitive disabilities, who can be confused by unexpected changes
Common failures
- A form is submitted as soon as the last field receives focus
- A new window or modal opens when a link or field is focused
- Focus is moved away automatically when an element receives it, so keyboard users cannot reach it
How we test it
- people only Manual only: nothing useful can be measured. The reviewer tests it directly.
Test question: Receiving focus never changes context on its own (no auto-submit, no new window on focus).
A person decides every criterion. No criterion ever passes automatically.
How to fix it
<input id="zip" onfocus="document.forms[0].submit()"><label for="zip">Postcode</label>
<input id="zip" name="zip" autocomplete="postal-code">
<button type="submit">Search</button>The form is sent only when the user presses the button, not when a field gets focus.
Practical tips
- Test by moving through the whole page with the Tab key only and watching for surprises.
Official source
How does your website do on this criterion?
The free check tests your home page automatically; the audit decides all 55 criteria.