WCAG 2.0 · Level A · Perceivable
1.4.2 Audio Control
Manual verification
How to validate 1.4.2 by hand
Check audio that starts automatically and continues for more than three seconds.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Load the page without interacting and note whether audio begins automatically and how long it continues.
- If it lasts over three seconds, locate a clearly available pause/stop control or an independent volume control.
- Operate that control with keyboard and pointer while audio is playing and verify that it takes effect immediately.
Evidence to record
Record whether audio starts, its duration, and the location and operation of the control.
Scope and exceptions
Audio initiated by the user is different from audio that begins automatically. A general device volume control does not substitute for a page-provided independent control.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.