WCAG 2.0 · Level A · Understandable
3.2.1 On Focus
Manual verification
How to validate 3.2.1 by hand
Check that receiving keyboard focus alone does not trigger an unexpected change of context.
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.
- Tab through links, selects, fields, and custom controls without activating them.
- Observe whether focus alone submits, navigates, opens a new window, or moves the user to a different view.
- Repeat in each relevant application state, distinguishing a focus change from a deliberate activation.
Evidence to record
Record the focused control, the context change, and whether the change happened without user activation.
Scope and exceptions
Opening a tooltip or showing focus styling is not by itself a change of context. A change may be acceptable when users are advised before using the control, as specified by the criterion.
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.