How to Ensure Hover and Tooltip Content is Accessible
Tooltips, popovers, and hover-triggered content can create accessibility barriers if they disappear too quickly or cannot be accessed with assistive technologies. Use this checklist to ensure tooltips and hover content are fully accessible.
10-Point Accessible Tooltips and Hover Content Checklist
Number One: Ensure tooltips are keyboard accessible
People must be able to trigger and dismiss tooltips using the keyboard. Avoid tooltips that appear only on hover without a keyboard alternative.
Number Two: Do not require precise mouse movement to trigger content
Tooltips should not disappear if the cursor moves slightly outside the target area. Allow a delay before hiding to prevent frustration.
Number Three: Provide an alternative way to access tooltip information
If the tooltip contains important content, ensure it is available elsewhere in text.
Example: A form field hint should be in a visible label, not just a tooltip.
Number Four: Ensure tooltips remain visible long enough to be read
People should be able to move their cursor or focus to the tooltip without it disappearing. Avoid automatic timeouts that close tooltips too quickly.
Number Five: Use aria-describedby for additional explanations
If a tooltip provides extra context for an input, associate it with the field using aria-describedby.
Example:
<input aria-describedby="tooltip-id">
Number Six: Tooltips should not interfere with focus order
When a tooltip appears, it should not disrupt the logical focus flow of the page. Ensure keyboard users can navigate through tooltips naturally.
Number Seven: Ensure sufficient color contrast for tooltip text
Text inside tooltips should meet the 4.5:1 contrast ratio for readability. Avoid using low-contrast backgrounds or transparency that makes text difficult to read.
Number Eight: Allow tooltips to be dismissed easily
Tooltips should close when pressing Esc or clicking outside the tooltip. Do not force people to reload the page or perform extra steps to close tooltips.
Number Nine: Do not rely on hover alone for critical content
Ensure all hover-revealed content is also accessible on focus and click.
Example: A help icon should be clickable, not just hover-triggered.
Number Ten: Test with assistive technologies
Use a screen reader to ensure tooltips are announced when expected. Navigate tooltips using only a keyboard to confirm they are accessible.
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