WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3, Focus Order, is a Level A requirement. In practice: focus order preserves meaning and operability; and no positive tabindex values.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Focus order preserves meaning and operability
Checked automatically: clicks through the page. Severity: medium. A scrambled focus order makes a form or navigation unusable even though every control technically works.
An approximation: A browser presses Tab through the page and records each stop with its label and where it sits on the page. A decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev) says whether that order follows a meaningful sequence; it fails only when sure it does not, and anything in between is reported for review. Dialogs and other widgets that move focus deliberately are judged from the order alone, not from what the page intends.
How to fix it. Ensure tab order follows the visual order. Remove positive tabindex values, which override source order and are almost always the cause.
No positive tabindex values
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: high. A positive tabindex hoists an element ahead of everything else and is almost always the cause of a broken focus order.
How to fix it. Remove positive tabindex values and reorder the source so the natural sequence is correct.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
Questions
Is WCAG 2.4.3 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 2.4.3.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 2.4.3?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (clicks through the page, reads the HTML). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 2.4.3 failure?
Ensure tab order follows the visual order. Remove positive tabindex values, which override source order and are almost always the cause.