Understandable · 3.2 Predictable

Consistent Help WCAG 3.2.6 · Level A

If help mechanisms such as human contact details, a contact mechanism, a self-help option, or a fully automated contact mechanism are repeated across a set of pages, they must appear in the same order relative to other page content unless the user changes it. It does not require help to be provided.

Level
A
Since
WCAG 2.2
Principle
Understandable
Guideline
3.2 Predictable
Try the live demo All criteria Checklist

Live demo

Find the help link on three pages

The same task, done two ways: switch between the version that passes and the one that fails, or put them side by side. Everything in the box is live, so try it with a keyboard, a pointer or a screen reader.

Switch between the pages in each version and look for Help and contact. The engine marks whether it stays in the same place.

Live example

Passes
HomeShopHelp and contact

Handmade cushions and throws

Everything we sell is made in small batches.

Free delivery on orders over $50.

HomeShopHelp and contact

Linen cushion, sage green

Fifty centimeters square, with a zipper and a feather insert.

Free delivery on orders over $50.

HomeShopHelp and contact

Checkout

Check your order, then choose how you want to pay.

Free delivery on orders over $50.

What happened

    Why it passes

    Help and contact sits at the end of the header on every page, so when you get stuck at checkout you know exactly where to look.

    Why it fails

    Help and contact is in the header on the home page, in the footer on the product page and inside the content at checkout, so you have to search for it each time.

    Examples

    Code that fails, and the fix

    Four examples, each one running: the usual ways this criterion fails, and code that passes. Listen to them, measure them, or copy the code.

    01What changes 6 lines

    Fails

    Help link moves between pages

    Live preview

    HTML
    <!-- Home page: help link in the header --><header>  <nav aria-label="Main"><a href="/">Home</a> <a href="/shop/">Shop</a></nav>  <a href="/help/">Help and contact</a></header> <!-- Checkout page: help link only in the footer --><footer>  <a href="/help/">Help and contact</a></footer>

    The help link comes before the main content on the home page but after it at checkout, so people who found it at the top have to search the whole page for it.

    Passes

    Help in the same place on every page

    Live preview

    HTML
    <!-- Every page, including checkout --><header>  <nav aria-label="Main"><a href="/">Home</a> <a href="/shop/">Shop</a></nav>  <a href="/help/">Help and contact</a></header>

    The help link keeps the same position relative to the rest of the page on every page, so people find it without searching.

    02

    Fails

    Chat button placed differently in the code

    Live preview

    HTML
    <!-- Product pages: chat button before the header --><button type="button" class="chat">Chat with us</button><header><!-- logo and menu --></header><main><!-- product details --></main> <!-- Account pages: chat button after the footer --><header><!-- logo and menu --></header><main><!-- account details --></main><footer><!-- footer links --></footer><button type="button" class="chat">Chat with us</button>

    CSS may put both buttons in the same corner, but the order in the code differs, so screen reader and keyboard users meet the chat button first on one page and last on the other.

    Passes

    Help options in one fixed order

    Live preview

    HTML
    <!-- The same footer block on every page --><footer>  <h2>Need help?</h2>  <p>Call us at <a href="tel:+12025550147">(202) 555-0147</a>,    Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.</p>  <p><a href="/contact/">Send us a message</a></p>  <p><a href="/help/">Read our help articles</a></p></footer>

    Phone details, the contact form and the help articles appear in the same order and place on every page. 3.2.6 does not require help, only that repeated help stays consistent.

    Why it matters

    Who it helps

    People with cognitive, learning, or memory disabilities often need help to complete tasks, and finding it in a predictable place saves effort and frustration. It also helps screen reader and magnifier users who navigate by learned position.

    W3C: Understanding 3.2.6

    • Level A

      Level A is the minimum: failing it can shut some people out completely.

    • In WCAG versions

      New in WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023.

      No WCAG 1.0 checkpoint maps to it.

    • Where it is required

      Required where the law names WCAG 2.2 or later at this level: the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

    How to test

    Checking it

    A few concrete steps. Automated tools find some failures; most need a person.

    1. Find help mechanisms repeated across pages, such as contact details, a contact form link, a help or FAQ page link, or a chatbot.
    2. Compare several pages and confirm each help mechanism appears in the same order relative to other content, including in the reading order of the code.
    3. Confirm that any difference in order is caused only by an action the user took.

    Common failures

    Where it breaks

    • A Contact us link sits in the header on some pages and only in the footer on others.
    • A support chat launcher is placed near the start of the page code on some templates and at the end on others.
    • A link to the help page moves between the main menu and the footer depending on the section of the site.

    Related