Accessibility rule: Page sections with the same name do not serve the same purpose, explained
Summary
Landmarks must be uniquely named when they serve different purposes to ensure assistive technology users can accurately navigate page regions. This rule flags potential issues where repeated names may cause confusion.
Overview
HTML landmarks help define page structure and improve navigation, but reuse of the same landmark name across different functional regions can reduce clarity. This article explains the potential issue and how Siteimprove evaluates and surfaces it for review.
What are landmarks and why do they matter?
Landmarks are HTML elements intended to mark important sections of your page. Landmarks improve the navigation experience of your site significantly for users of assistive technology by allowing important content to be found quickly. This only works if the important sections on the page are named uniquely. For instance if the website has two different navigational structures with the same landmark, the landmarks should have different names to differentiate them from each other.
What is the issue?
The rule checks if a page contains two or more regions that have different purposes but use the same landmark and the same name. This could result in screen reader users not being able to find the content they are looking for.
Why is this a potential issue (requires review)?
Since automation alone is not able to detect if two sections have different purposes, this issue will only be a potential issue where user input is needed to confirm that the sections have different functions. The potential issue is called: “Do page sections with the same name serve the same purpose?”
Additional details
- This rule highlights potential accessibility issues and requires user input to confirm whether sections with identical names actually serve different functions.
- The rule focuses on improving navigational clarity for users relying on assistive technologies.
Related information
Did you find it helpful? Yes No
Send feedback