WCAG 2.1 · Level AAA · Operable
2.2.6 Timeouts
Manual verification
How to validate 2.2.6 by hand
Check whether the site tells users how long they can be inactive before a timeout causes data loss, unless it preserves their data for more than 20 hours.
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.
- Identify inactivity timeouts controlled by the site and determine whether they can cause loss of information entered or progress made.
- At the start of the related process, look for a clear notice explaining how long inactivity can continue before data is lost; a warning shown only as time runs out may not tell users the duration in advance.
- If no advance notice is provided, verify through a controlled session or system/configuration evidence whether the data is preserved for more than 20 hours of inactivity.
Evidence to record
Record the process, timeout duration, data that would be lost, when and where the duration is disclosed, and the evidence for any data-preservation exception.
Scope and exceptions
This Level AAA criterion covers inactivity timeouts within the content provider’s knowledge or control. The exception requires preservation for more than 20 hours, not merely a timeout configured for 20 hours; a short manual session may require reliable configuration or system evidence.
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.