Form <input> elements should have a visible label
Compliance Data & Impact
Disabilities Affected
- Blind
- Deafblind
- Mobility
Requirement(s)
Best Practice
WCAG Success Criteria
Not specified, or not applicable
Section 508 Guidelines
Not specified, or not applicable
Rule Description
Form <input> elements may be given a title using the title or aria-describedby attributes (but not both). These attributes are used to provide additional information such as a hint.
Why it Matters
The title and aria-describedby attributes are used to provide additional information such as a hint. Hints are exposed to accessibility APIs differently than labels and as such, this can cause problems with assistive technologies.
When form inputs such as text entry fields, radio buttons, check boxes, and select menus contain no labels other than title and aria-describedby attribute values, screen readers interpret the content as advisory information only. Labels created by the title and aria-describedby values are not sufficient to create a true label that can be determined programmatically from the code to convey the purpose of the input form element.
How to Fix the Problem
Provide every form control a label using aria-label, aria-labelledby<label> or explicit <label>.
Using aria-label and aria-labelledby
Most of the time it is best to use standard form labels using the <label> tag. The <label> tag is by far the most useful and most widely-supported method of labeling form elements, especially among older browsers and older screen readers. There are, however, certain circumstances that require more flexible methods of labeling objects. One limitation of the <label> tag is that it can be associated with only one form element. If circumstances require a more complex labeling structure, the <label> tag is insufficient. This is where aria-label and aria-labelledby come in.
The aria-label attribute allows you to add a label directly to pretty much any HTML element, including form elements, paragraphs, tables, and more.
Example: aria-label
The label is applied directly to the element, and is completely invisible, which is a huge disadvantage for all sighted users, but screen readers will read the label.
<input type="text" aria-label="Search">Note: This method should NOT be used unless there is a compelling reason to use it. The regular <label> is always preferable whenever possible.
The aria-labelledby attribute allows you to refer to a text label elsewhere on the web page. Multiple objects can refer to the same text label using aria-labelledby, making this method quite useful for complex labeling situations.
Example: aria-labelledby
Note: As with aria-label, this method should NOT be used unless there is a compelling reason to use it. This example is overly-simplistic, just to show aria-labelledby works on a technical level. Using aria-labelledby in such a straightforward circumstance is inappropriate. A more standard <label> tag would be better.
<p id="search">Search</p>
<input type="text" aria-labelledby="search">Explicit Labels
Create an explicit association by giving the label element a for attribute with the same value as the form control’s id attribute. This provides a one-to-one mapping between the label and the element. This is the best approach for labeling as it is supported by all modern browsers and all major assistive technologies for all form elements.
Example: Explicit Label
Explicit labels make the association unambiguous for assistive technologies.
<label for="fname">First Name:</label> <input type="text" name="fname" id="fname"><br>
<label for="lname">Last Name:</label> <input type="text" name="lname" id="lname">Implicit Labels
Even though we recommend creating explicit labels, create an implicit association by putting the form control inside the label element. This approach has inconsistent support among assistive technologies. For instance, when this approach is used on a text input, JAWS will read the label as intended, but when this approach is used in a select menu, it won’t be read.
Example: Implicit Label
Implicit labels allowable, but are not as broadly applicable or as reliable as explicit labels.
<label>First Name: <input type="text" name="fname"></label><br>
<label>Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname"></label>The Algorithm (in simple terms)
Ensures that every <input> that requires a label is has a label other than the title or aria-describedby attributes.