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W3C WCAG · WCAG-4-1-STATUS-MSG

W3C WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA)

Ensure status messages (success confirmations, error alerts, progress updates) can be programmatically determined by assistive technologies without moving focus

HIGHRequirementDesign defaultsTechnical standardIn forceApplies from 5 October 2023

Where this comes from

Provision: 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA)

Instrument: W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2

Citation: W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Success Criterion 4.1.3 Status Messages, Level AA, W3C Recommendation 05 October 2023

Text version: WCAG 2.2

Read the official text ↗

Who it applies to

It applies when all of these are true:

  • Service type — any answer
  • Service collects behavioral data

What engineering work it implies

Sample acceptance criteria Landfall generates for this obligation:

  • Interactive elements are keyboard-operable and have visible focus
  • Content and controls expose correct names/roles/values to assistive tech (ARIA where needed)
  • Color contrast and text alternatives meet the referenced criterion
  • Errors are identified in text and programmatically associated with their input
  • Automated accessibility scan (axe/Lighthouse) passes for the changed views

Questions people ask

Does W3C WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA) apply to my service?
It applies when Service type — any answer; Service collects behavioral data.
From when does this apply?
W3C WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA) applies from 5 October 2023. Its current status is: in force.

Find out whether this one lands on you

Landfall's pre-scan answers the applicability question above for your product in minutes, then turns every obligation that applies into traceable engineering tickets with a citation chain your auditors can follow.

Run the pre-scanAll W3C WCAG obligations

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