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WCAG 2.4.13 Focus Appearance

AAA only: the visible focus indicator must meet minimum size, contrast and area requirements, going beyond simply being visible at all.

2.4.13 Level AAA Added in WCAG 2.2 Needs manual review

Anton StewartAuthor
Reviewed against the W3C Understanding document
Illustration: a layers icon, with WCAG 2.4.13 and Focus Appearance
Table of contents

What WCAG 2.4.13 Requires

AAA only: the visible focus indicator must meet minimum size, contrast and area requirements, going beyond simply being visible at all.

How to Test It by Hand

Measure a focus indicator's thickness, contrast and area against the specific AAA thresholds in the success criterion.

Common Failures

  • A thin 1px focus outline is technically visible but does not meet the minimum area and contrast the AAA level requires.

Testing WCAG 2.4.13 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does WCAG 2.4.13 require?

AAA only: the visible focus indicator must meet minimum size, contrast and area requirements, going beyond simply being visible at all.

Can AccessBell test WCAG 2.4.13 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 2.4.13?

Level AAA, added in WCAG 2.2. Level AAA is the highest, most demanding conformance level in WCAG.

Sources

This page explains a technical standard and is not legal advice. See our disclaimer.

About the Author

Anton StewartAuthor

Contributor, AccessBell

Anton Stewart writes and reviews accessibility guides for the AccessBell blog, checked against the W3C standards and other primary sources.

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