WCAG 2.4.3: Focus Order
In European law this criterion is EN 301 549 clause 9.2.4.3 — chapter 9, the part of the harmonised standard that applies to websites under the European Accessibility Act.
What automation checks
axe-core has no rule for this criterion, so our own browser check a11y-focus-order flags a tab order that repeatedly jumps backwards through the document, naming positive tabindex values when they are the cause. Honest limitation: a modal or custom widget may reorder focus legitimately — single jumps are ignored for that reason.
What automation cannot prove
An automated test finds some failures of WCAG 2.4.3; it cannot confirm the criterion is met. Whether the result actually works for people — in context, with real content — is a judgement call that needs a human auditor. Nothing on this page is a statement of conformance or legal advice. The full map of what our scanner covers and where it stops is on what our scanner checks.
Related guides
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