Inaccessible hover or focus content (tooltips)
patterns/tooltip-unreferenced
- WCAG success criterion
- 1.4.13 (level AA)
- Outcome class
- Hint only. An automated check that by design reports review hints only: its findings are marked for manual review, never as confirmed violations.
- Area
- Accessibility, Visual Presentation
- Default severity
- medium
- axe-core rule
content-on-hover-focus
Why we flag this
Users cannot read tooltip content, cannot dismiss it via keyboard, or it is ignored by screen readers.
Incomplete ARIA linkage (aria-describedby) or missing controls.
What the rule checks
Scope. Elements with an explicit tooltip role (Markup scope: tooltips are hidden until hover or focus).
Expectation. Reports (best practice) a tooltip that no aria-describedby or aria-labelledby references: assistive technology never announces it when it appears. A referenced tooltip passes, hidden or not; an unreferenced hidden tooltip is reported, since it is only shown on hover.
Source. APG Tooltip pattern (the trigger references the tooltip with aria-describedby); best practice related to WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.13, not a failure of it
Detection: shared; needs dom.
Failing example
The check flags this for review. Corpus case aria_widgets_broken, element div#fav-tip. The page may contain further findings for other rules.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Trail running shoe - Example shop</title>
</head>
<body>
<header>
<p>Example shop</p>
</header>
<main>
<h1>Trail running shoe</h1>
<!-- aria/tab-selected-missing and aria/tabpanel-missing: no tab is
selected, and the document has no tab panel -->
<div id="product-tabs" role="tablist" aria-label="Product information">
<button type="button" role="tab" id="tab-desc">Description</button>
<button type="button" role="tab" id="tab-reviews">Reviews</button>
</div>
<div id="product-text">Lightweight shoe with a grippy sole.</div>
<!-- aria/combobox-popup-missing: expanded, popup not referenced -->
<label for="size">Size</label>
<input id="size" type="text" role="combobox" aria-expanded="true" aria-autocomplete="list">
<ul id="size-options" role="listbox" aria-label="Sizes">
<li role="option" id="size-42" aria-selected="false">42</li>
<li role="option" id="size-43" aria-selected="false">43</li>
</ul>
<!-- popover/target-missing and popover/target-invalid -->
<button type="button" id="guide-btn" popovertarget="size-guide">Size guide</button>
<button type="button" id="shipping-btn" popovertarget="shipping-info">Shipping</button>
<div id="shipping-info">Free shipping from 50 EUR.</div>
<!-- patterns/accordion-controls-missing: expanded, region unknown -->
<button type="button" id="care-btn" aria-expanded="true">Care instructions</button>
<div id="care-text">Clean with a damp cloth.</div>
<div id="fit-btn" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-expanded="true">Fit</div>
<div id="fit-text">True to size.</div>
<!-- patterns/tooltip-unreferenced: nothing points at the tooltip -->
<button type="button" id="fav-btn">Add to wish list</button>
<div role="tooltip" id="fav-tip">Saved items stay for 30 days</div>
<!-- modern-attribute-misuse (active_surface_inert): the promotion is
shown as an open popover but marked inert, so its button cannot be
reached or operated -->
<div id="promo" popover="manual" inert aria-label="Promotion">
<p>10 % off your first order.</p>
<button type="button" id="promo-close">Close</button>
</div>
</main>
<footer>
<p>Example shop</p>
</footer>
<script>
document.getElementById('promo').showPopover();
</script>
</body>
</html>Passing example
The check passes here and reports nothing. Corpus case aria_widgets_valid. The page may contain further findings for other rules.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Trail running shoe - Example shop</title>
</head>
<body>
<header>
<p>Example shop</p>
</header>
<main>
<h1>Trail running shoe</h1>
<!-- One tab selected, panel present -->
<div id="product-tabs" role="tablist" aria-label="Product information">
<button type="button" role="tab" id="tab-desc" aria-selected="true" aria-controls="panel-desc">Description</button>
<button type="button" role="tab" id="tab-reviews" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="panel-desc" tabindex="-1">Reviews</button>
</div>
<div id="panel-desc" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-desc">Lightweight shoe with a grippy sole.</div>
<!-- Expanded combobox referencing its popup; a collapsed one needs no
reference -->
<label for="size">Size</label>
<input id="size" type="text" role="combobox" aria-expanded="true" aria-autocomplete="list" aria-controls="size-options">
<ul id="size-options" role="listbox" aria-label="Sizes">
<li role="option" id="size-42" aria-selected="false">42</li>
<li role="option" id="size-43" aria-selected="false">43</li>
</ul>
<label for="colour">Colour</label>
<input id="colour" type="text" role="combobox" aria-expanded="false" aria-autocomplete="list">
<!-- The native select has its popup built in -->
<label for="qty">Quantity</label>
<select id="qty"><option>1</option><option>2</option></select>
<!-- A visible menu named by its heading -->
<h2 id="sort-label">Sort reviews</h2>
<div id="sort-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="sort-label">
<div role="menuitem" id="sort-new" tabindex="0">Newest first</div>
<div role="menuitem" id="sort-best" tabindex="-1">Best rated</div>
</div>
<!-- popovertarget points at a (closed, hence hidden) popover -->
<button type="button" id="guide-btn" popovertarget="size-guide">Size guide</button>
<div id="size-guide" popover>EU 42 equals UK 8.</div>
<!-- Expanded button naming the region it controls -->
<button type="button" id="care-btn" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="care-text">Care instructions</button>
<div id="care-text">Clean with a damp cloth.</div>
<!-- Tooltips referenced as description and as name -->
<button type="button" id="fav-btn" aria-describedby="fav-tip">Add to wish list</button>
<div role="tooltip" id="fav-tip">Saved items stay for 30 days</div>
<button type="button" id="share-btn" aria-labelledby="share-tip"><span aria-hidden="true">↗</span></button>
<div role="tooltip" id="share-tip">Share</div>
<!-- Open, operable popover -->
<div id="promo" popover="manual" aria-label="Promotion">
<p>10 % off your first order.</p>
<button type="button" id="promo-close">Close</button>
</div>
</main>
<footer>
<p>Example shop</p>
</footer>
<script>
document.getElementById('promo').showPopover();
</script>
</body>
</html>This page is generated from the rule catalogue and the rule contracts; see therule overview for how the outcome classes are derived.