OpenA11y Evaluation Library

Verify title is the label.

Rule ID Control 9
Conformance Required
Definition Verify that the title attribute content serves as an appropriate label for the form control, and not only as a tooltip.
Purpose
  • When the title attribute is used for tooltips, it often uses more words than needed to label a form control for users of assistive technologies.
  • Use aria-label to provide a shorter label to users of assistive technologies if the title attribute content is determined not to be an optimal label.
Conformance Required
WCAG Success Criteria

Success Criterion 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Forms
Rule Scope Element
First Step no
Techniques
  • The preferred technique for labeling form controls is to use the label element and its for attribute to reference the id attribute value of the form control element.
  • NOTE: The alternative technique of using the label element to encapsulate a the form control element does not fully support some assistve technologies, like speech input for activating the control.
  • In special cases, the aria-labelledby attribute can be used on the form control element to reference the id(s) of the elements on the page that describe its purpose.
  • In special cases, the aria-label attribute can be used on the form control element to provide an explicit text description of its purpose.
  • The title attribute will be used as the last resort to provide a label for the form control.
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