Level AAAOperable
2.1.3

Keyboard (No Exception)

The strict version: everything on the page must work with a keyboard, with no exceptions at all.

In plain English

The Level A rule (2.1.1) says everything should work by keyboard, with one small carve-out for things that truly need continuous freehand motion (like sketching). This AAA rule removes even that: absolutely everything must be keyboard-operable.

For most stores this is not a stretch, since stores rarely have drawing canvases or gesture-only features. If you pass the Level A keyboard rule and have nothing path-dependent, you are effectively meeting this one too.

Who this is for

  • Keyboard-only users and people using switch devices or voice control that maps to the keyboard.

How to check and fix it yourself

Unplug your mouse and operate the entire store with Tab, Enter, Space, and arrow keys. Everything, including any custom widget, must be reachable and usable.

Every link, button, menu, slider works by keyboard.   ✓
A gesture-only or drag-only feature with no key path.  ✗ add a keyboard method

Where we can help

We run a full keyboard-only pass of your store and flag anything a mouse can do that a keyboard cannot. Keyboard traps and unreachable controls are among the most serious common failures.

How to meet it

Techniques the W3C accepts as sufficient (summarized). Follow a link for the full method.

Frequently asked questions

What does keyboard (no exception) require?+

Success Criterion 2.1.3 (Level AAA) says all functionality must be operable through a keyboard, with no exceptions. It removes the small allowance in 2.1.1 for functions that genuinely depend on the path of a movement (like freehand drawing).

How is it different from 2.1.1?+

2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) requires keyboard operation except where the underlying function needs continuous free-form input (freehand sketching, for instance). 2.1.3 (AAA) drops that exception: everything, without qualification, must work by keyboard.

Is this realistic for a store?+

For a typical store, yes, since stores rarely have freehand-drawing style features. If you already pass the Level A keyboard rule and have no path-dependent features, you likely meet this too. It is mostly relevant to apps with drawing or gesture canvases.

Reference

This is a plain-language explainer. The authoritative source is the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.

Understanding 2.1.3 ↗How to Meet 2.1.3 ↗

WCAG 2.2 © W3C. Excerpts are paraphrased; see the linked documents for the normative text.

Not sure if your store passes 2.1.3?

A human auditor checks this and every other criterion against your live store, and documents the result.

Book an audit