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Technique F114:Failure of Success Criterion 1.4.13 Content on hover or focus when content cannot be dismissed without moving the pointer or the keyboard focus

About this Technique

This technique relates to 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Failure).

This failure applies when the user, by hovering over parts of content or by focusing an element via the keyboard, causes popup content to appear that cannot be dismissed without moving the pointer away or advancing the keyboard focus (depending on how the popup was triggered).

Failure techniques show examples of how content can fail particular WCAG success criteria. However, content may still satisfy those criteria if it includes equivalent/alternative content or functionality that does meet the normative requirements. See About WCAG Techniques.

Description

This describes a failure condition when additional content is displayed on hover or focus, but there is no mechanism to dismiss it without moving the pointer or the keyboard focus.

Examples

  • Custom tooltip: When focusing an icon with a question mark that is placed after an input field, a popup with an explanation of the expected input appears that covers a part of the form. The only way to close the popup is to Tab / move focus away from the question mark icon.
  • Sub-menu: When the mouse pointer is moved over a menu item in a horizontal menubar, a sub-menu appears. The only way to close the sub-menu is to move the pointer away from the menu item.

Tests

Procedure

  1. Using the Tab key, navigate through the content. If popup content appears that obscures or replaces content, and the popup content is not used to communicate an input error, verify if there is a way to close the popup with the keyboard without moving focus, such as pressing the Esc key.
  2. Move the pointer over elements that may display additional content on hover. If popup content appears that obscures or replaces content, and the popup content is not used to communicate an input error, verify if there is a way to close the popup without moving the pointer, such as pressing the Esc key or clicking at the current pointer position (for example on the element that triggered the popup), without activating any additional functionality.

Expected Results

  • If #1 or #2 is false, then content fails the success criterion.
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