WCAG 2.0 · Level AA · Understandable
3.2.4 Consistent Identification
Manual verification
How to validate 3.2.4 by hand
Compare components with the same function across pages and check that they are identified consistently.
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.
- Find repeated buttons, icons, links, and controls that perform the same action on different pages.
- Compare their visible labels and accessible names, including icon-only variants.
- Check whether any difference communicates a real change in function rather than an inconsistent label.
Evidence to record
Record the component, page locations, functions, and labels/names that differ for the same purpose.
Scope and exceptions
Components with different functions may appropriately have different labels. Consistency is required for components serving the same function.
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.