Operable
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap
If keyboard focus can move into a component, it must be able to move out again.
Who it helps
Keyboard users, who otherwise get stuck with no way to reach the rest of the page.
Failures we see most
- Embedded widgets or chat windows that swallow the Tab key
- Dialogs with no keyboard way to close them
How it gets tested
The scanner presses Tab through the page like a keyboard user and flags focus that gets stuck.
Automated checks can find failures of 2.1.2, but they cannot confirm that a page passes. A specialist still reviews it by hand.
How we fix it
A specialist fixes this in your site's code or content, and we re-test the page before you sign off.
Official text: W3C, Understanding 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap. Checks listed from axe-core 4.14.0.
Related criteria
Does your site fail 2.1.2?
Our free scan checks up to 50 of your pages and tells you which criteria fail and where.