Operable
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks
There must be a way to skip blocks that repeat on every page, such as the header and menu. A skip link does this, and so do well-structured landmarks and headings.
Who it helps
Keyboard users, who would otherwise tab through the whole header on every page.
Failures we see most
- No skip link and no landmark regions
- Skip links that point at something that does not exist
How it gets tested
Our scanner runs this axe-core check for 2.4.1:
| Check | What it looks for |
|---|---|
bypass | Page must have means to bypass repeated blocks |
The scanner checks whether the first Tab stop is a skip link.
Automated checks can find failures of 2.4.1, but they cannot confirm that a page passes. A specialist still reviews it by hand.
How we fix it
Our tools add a "Skip to content" link to your base template when the site has none.
Official text: W3C, Understanding 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. Checks listed from axe-core 4.14.0.
Related criteria
Does your site fail 2.4.1?
Our free scan checks up to 50 of your pages and tells you which criteria fail and where.