WCAG 2.2.6 Timeouts
Visitors must be warned about any user inactivity timeout that could cause loss of data, unless the data is preserved for at least 20 hours after the timeout.
Table of contents
What WCAG 2.2.6 Requires
Visitors must be warned about any user inactivity timeout that could cause loss of data, unless the data is preserved for at least 20 hours after the timeout.
How to Test It by Hand
Check whether a warning appears before a session times out, or whether entered data is preserved afterward.
Common Failures
- A banking or account session silently logs the visitor out with no advance warning.
Testing WCAG 2.2.6 With AccessBell
This criterion depends on meaning or context, so it needs a person to judge. AccessBell's report lists it for manual review rather than marking it pass or fail automatically, so it is not missed.
Run a free scan to spot issues on your own pages.
Related Criteria in Enough Time
- 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
- 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
- 2.2.3 No Timing (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
- 2.2.4 Interruptions (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
- 2.2.5 Re-authenticating (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does WCAG 2.2.6 require?
Visitors must be warned about any user inactivity timeout that could cause loss of data, unless the data is preserved for at least 20 hours after the timeout.
Can AccessBell test WCAG 2.2.6 automatically?
Not fully. This criterion needs a person to judge, so AccessBell's report lists it for manual review rather than marking it pass or fail on its own.
What level is WCAG 2.2.6?
Level AAA, added in WCAG 2.1. Level AAA is the highest, most demanding conformance level in WCAG.
Sources
- W3C: Understanding 2.2.6 Timeouts (opens in a new tab)
- W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 (opens in a new tab)
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