WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.4, Consistent Identification, is a Level AA requirement: components with the same function are identified the same way.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Components with the same function are identified the same way
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: low. A search button labelled 'Search' on one page and 'Find' on another makes a screen-reader user wonder whether it is the same function.
An approximation: Compares the accessible names (visible text, aria-label, icon alt text) of the links in each sampled layout's header, navigation, footer and sidebar, and of its search controls. A destination that goes by different names on different pages is put to a decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev), which says whether the names identify one function. Controls elsewhere on a page, and icons with no accessible name, are not compared.
How to fix it. Use the same label, icon and alt text for the same function everywhere it appears: search, cart, account, download, and so on.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 3.2.6 Consistent Help
Questions
Is WCAG 3.2.4 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 3.2.4.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 3.2.4?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (reads the HTML). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 3.2.4 failure?
Use the same label, icon and alt text for the same function everywhere it appears: search, cart, account, download, and so on.