Understanding Error Suggestion

Intent of Error Suggestion

The intent of this Success Criterion is to ensure that users receive appropriate suggestions for correction of an input error if it is possible. The WCAG 2.0 definition of "input error" says that it is "information provided by the user that is not accepted" by the system. Some examples of information that is not accepted include information that is required but omitted by the user and information that is provided by the user but that falls outside the required data format or allowed values.

Success Criterion 3.3.1 provides for notification of errors. However, persons with cognitive limitations may find it difficult to understand how to correct the errors. People with visual disabilities may not be able to figure out exactly how to correct the error. In the case of an unsuccessful form submission, users may abandon the form because they may be unsure of how to correct the error even though they are aware that it has occurred.

The content author may provide the description of the error, or the user agent may provide the description of the error based on technology-specific, programmatically determined information.

Benefits of Error Suggestion

Examples of Error Suggestion

Resources for Error Suggestion

Techniques for Error Suggestion

In some cases, more than one of these situations may apply. For example, when a mandatory field also requires the data to be in a specific format.

Sufficient Techniques for Error Suggestion

Situation A: If a mandatory field contains no information:

  1. Providing a text description that identifies the field as mandatory
  2. ARIA2: Identifying required fields with the "required" property

Situation B: If information for a field is required to be in a specific data format:

  1. Providing a text description when user input falls outside the required format or values
  2. Providing suggested correction text
  3. SCR18: Providing client-side validation and alert
  4. Providing client-side validation and adding error text via the DOM
  5. Providing client-side validation and adding error text via the accessible description

Situation C: Information provided by the user is required to be one of a limited set of values:

  1. Providing a text description when the user provides information that is not in list of allowed values
  2. Providing suggested correction text
  3. SCR18: Providing client-side validation and alert
  4. Providing client-side validation and adding error text via the DOM
  5. Providing client-side validation and adding error text via the accessible description

Additional Techniques (Advisory) for Error Suggestion

Client-Side Scripting Techniques (Advisory)

Failures for Error Suggestion