Content on Hover or Focus

Success criterion 1.4.13 · Level AA

Content on Hover or Focus

Extra content that appears on hover or focus can be dismissed, can be hovered over, and stays visible until the user dismisses it.

Principle 1: Perceivable · Guideline 1.4: Distinguishable

What each role can do

Product manager

Review every tooltip, popover and hover menu against the dismissible, hoverable, persistent rules.

Designer

Design tooltips that do not cover their trigger and that stay open while pointed at.

Developer

Make hover and focus content dismissible with Escape, hoverable, and persistent until dismissed.

Tester

Test tooltips with keyboard, mouse and magnification; confirm Escape closes them without moving focus.

Once it is fixed

“The tooltip stays put while I read it and leaves when I say so. Polite at last!”