3.2.4 Consistent Identification [AA]

Level AA

Components that have the same functionality within a set of Web pages are identified consistently.>

Explanation

When features that have the same functionality, like form fields, links or buttons, are used in different places across a website, they must be presented in the same way. This helps people who cannot see the content easily identify and use the feature.

Roles

  • Content
  • QA

Requirements

  • An icon has the same alternative text wherever it is used;
  • Buttons for “Next”, “Previous”, and “Continue”, are labelled consistently wherever they are used;
  • Form fields with the same purpose are consistently labelled wherever they are used.

Common mistakes

  • An icon is used to denote a file download, but has a different alternate text whenever it is used;
  • A search facility is provided on every page, but the text field and button have different labels on each page.

Official resources

Other resources