3.2.4 Consistent Identification

What does it mean?

If a search field, a download icon or a "Contact us" button appears on several pages and does the same thing, it should have the same name, label and text alternative everywhere. Consistent does not have to mean word-for-word identical, but the wording should clearly match.

This covers visible text as well as hidden names for assistive technology, such as alt text of icons and aria-label values. It applies within a set of pages, such as one website.

Who does it help?

• Screen reader users, who recognise functions by their name
• People with cognitive disabilities who look for familiar words
• Speech control users, who activate controls by saying their name

Common failures

• The same search button is called "Search" on one page and "Find" or "Go" on another
• A print icon has the alt text "Print" on some pages and "icon-23" on others
• The cart link is labelled "Basket" in the header and "Cart" in the mobile menu

How we test it

• people only Manual only: nothing useful can be measured. The reviewer tests it directly.

Test question: Components with the same function are labelled the same way across pages.

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

How to fix it

<!-- page A --><button aria-label="Search">…</button>
<!-- page B --><button aria-label="Go">…</button>

<!-- every page -->
<button type="submit" aria-label="Search">
  <svg aria-hidden="true" focusable="false">…</svg>
</button>

The same function carries the same name on every page.

Practical tips

• Keep a short list of standard labels for recurring functions and reuse it in all templates.

Guides and patterns on this

• The accessibility statement: complete, honest and easy to findService providers and public sector bodies have to say how accessible their offer is. Here is what each set of rules requires and how to write a statement that actually helps people.

Official source

Understanding WCAG 2.2 at the W3C: 3.2.4 Consistent Identification