Accessible Tabs Tester
Validate tablist, tab, tabpanel, aria-selected, controls, tabindex, IDs, and keyboard expectations.
Input panel
Accessibility report
4 issues detected — 0 critical, 3 serious, 1 moderate, 0 minor.
- Critical
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Moderate
- 1
- Minor
- 0
- Info
- 1
Missing tablist role
Tab widgets need a tablist container.
SeriousWCAG 4.1.2Fix: Add role=tablist with an accessible label.
Missing tab role
Each tab control needs role=tab.
SeriousWCAG 4.1.2Fix: Use buttons with role=tab.
Missing tabpanel role
Each active panel needs role=tabpanel.
SeriousWCAG 4.1.2Fix: Add role=tabpanel and aria-labelledby.
Missing aria-selected
Tabs need selected state.
ModerateWCAG 4.1.2Fix: Set aria-selected on each tab.
Manual keyboard and assistive technology verification required
Static markup cannot prove full keyboard handling, focus movement, announcements, or hidden-state behavior.
Working accessible example
Manual testing panel
- Tab to the active tab.
- Use arrow keys to move between tabs.
- Test Home and End where expected.
- Confirm each tab controls a unique tabpanel and focus remains visible.
Sanitized live preview
Editorial guidance
How this widgets tool supports accessibility work
The accessible tabs tester is designed to turn a common accessibility review task into a repeatable workflow. It focuses on validate tablist, tab, tabpanel, aria-selected, controls, tabindex, ids, and keyboard expectations. The goal is not to replace expert judgment, but to make the first review faster, more consistent, and easier to explain to designers, developers, QA teams, and content owners.
Use the output as evidence for a remediation conversation. A failed check normally means the implementation needs a closer look against WCAG 2.1.1, 4.1.2, while a passing check means the specific automated rule did not find a problem. Passing automated checks is helpful, but it is not the same as a full conformance claim.
For best results, test real production markup instead of simplified snippets. Templates, CSS state, JavaScript behavior, responsive layouts, and content changes can all affect the final accessibility experience. Re-run the tool after fixes so the before-and-after evidence is easy to compare.
Pair this tool with manual keyboard testing, zoom and reflow checks, screen-reader review, and content judgment. Those human checks catch issues that automated logic cannot reliably infer, such as whether labels are meaningful, instructions are clear, or a complete user task can be finished without a mouse.
How to use
- 1Open the accessible tabs tester and enter the page content, settings, or code you want to test or generate.
- 2Review the result cards, scores, or generated code to identify the safest accessible option before implementation.
- 3Copy the recommended fix or starter markup, then validate it again in your real product with keyboard and assistive technology testing.
FAQs
Tips here are tailored for the accessible tabs tester so people can move from checking to fixing faster.
What to verify manually
Keyboard: move through the related flow with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, and arrow keys where the pattern expects them.
Assistive technology: check names, roles, states, reading order, announcements, and focus changes with at least one screen reader.
Content quality: confirm that instructions, labels, headings, errors, and alternatives make sense in the real user task.
This page is written as practical guidance, not a legal certification. For procurement, VPAT/ACR work, or regulated launches, combine tool output with expert review and documented manual test results.
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