Buttons must have discernible text

Rule ID: button-name
Ruleset: axe-core 4.8
User Impact: Critical
Guidelines: WCAG 2.1 (A), WCAG 2.0 (A), WCAG 2.2 (A), Section 508, Trusted Tester, EN 301 549

Squash more accessibility bugs with axe DevTools Pro

Find and fix more issues with Intelligent Guided Tests™ by answering a series of simple questions about your page content. Free trial. No credit card needed.

Compliance Data & Impact

User Impact

Critical
▼
Minor
Critical

Disabilities Affected

  • Blind
  • Deafblind

Standard(s)

  • WCAG 2.1 (A)
  • WCAG 2.0 (A)
  • WCAG 2.2 (A)
  • Section 508
  • Trusted Tester
  • EN 301 549

WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.1 (A)]

  • 4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.0 (A)]

  • 4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.2 (A)]

  • 4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

Section 508 Guidelines

  • 1194.22: MUST: Web based intranet and Internet Information & Applications
  • 1194.22 (a): MUST: A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content)

Trusted Tester Guidelines

  • 6.A: MUST: The purpose of each link or button can be determined from any combination of the link/button text, accessible name, accessible description, and/or programmatically determined link/button context.

EN 301 549 Guidelines

  • 9.4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

How to Fix the Problem

Correct markup solutions

The button-name rule has five markup patterns that pass test criteria: 

<button id="text">Name</button>

<button id="al" aria-label="Name"></button>

<button id="alb" aria-labelledby="labeldiv"></button>
<div id="labeldiv">Button label</div>

<button id="combo" aria-label="Aria Name">Name</button>

<button id="buttonTitle" title="Title"></button>

  1. Ensure that each button element and elements with role="button" have one of the following characteristics:

    • Inner text that is discernible to screen reader users.
    • Non-empty aria-label attribute.
    • aria-labelledby pointing to element with text which is discernible to screen reader users.
    • role="presentation" or role="none" (ARIA 1.1) and is not in tab order (tabindex="-1").

Incorrect markup solutions

The button-name rule has six markup patterns that fail testing criteria: 

<button id="empty"></button>

<button id="val" value="Button Name"></button>

<button id="alempty" aria-label=""></button>

<button id="albmissing" aria-labelledby="nonexistent"></button>

<button id="albempty" aria-labelledby="emptydiv"></button>
<div id="emptydiv"></div>

<button id="buttonvalue" value="foo" tabindex="-1"></button>

Why it Matters

Screen reader users are not able to discern the purpose of elements with role="link", role="button", or role="menuitem" that do not have an accessible name.

Rule Description

Buttons must have discernible text that clearly describes the destination, purpose, function, or action for screen reader users.

The input-button-name rule separates functionality from the button-name rule to ensure that input buttons have discernible text; advise relevant to input button names was incorrect for button elements.

The Algorithm (in simple terms)

Checks all buttons to ensure that they have a discernable, accessible name.

Resources

Deque University Course Pages (subscription required)

Contribute to axe-core on GitHub

Refer to the complete list of axe 4.8 rules.

Was this information helpful?

You have already given your feedback, thank you..

Your response was as follows:

Was this information helpful?
Date/Time feedback was submitted: