Not everyone uses a mouse to explore a website. Good HTML must also make sense through a keyboard or screen reader.
What You Need to Know
Keyboard focus shows which control will receive the next key press. It must remain visible, even when a custom CSS design changes borders or backgrounds. Do not remove the focus outline without providing a clear replacement.
Try the Example
Take a look at the example. We’ll explain the important lines right below it.
<a href="#content">Skip to lesson</a>
<main id="content" tabindex="-1">
<h1>Focus order demonstration</h1>
<label for="student-name">Student name</label>
<input id="student-name" name="student-name">
<button type="button">Continue</button>
</main>Let’s Read the Code
- <main>: The main element marks the primary page content.
- <h1>: A top-level heading explains what the page is about.
- href: Href is the URL to a related resource or destination.
- id: An id uniquely identifies an element on this page.
Read the named elements and attributes together. They explain how the browser connects this feature to the rest of the page.
What Happens in the Browser?
Try this with Tab and Shift+Tab. If you can, inspect the accessibility tree too; appearance alone does not tell the whole story.
A quick keyboard check: Press Tab to move forward, Shift+Tab to go back, and Enter or Space to activate controls when appropriate. Watch where focus goes. If you cannot tell which control is active, the interface needs improvement.
Your Turn
Use Tab and Shift+Tab to visit the controls, then read their labels aloud. Is the purpose of each one clear?
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Judging the page only by how it looks, without checking its meaning and keyboard behavior.
- ARIA changes what assistive technology is told; it does not automatically add keyboard controls, visual styling, or JavaScript behavior.
Key Takeaways
- Keyboard focus shows which control will receive the next key press.
- <main>: The main element marks the primary page content.
- A meaningful HTML element is usually a stronger starting point than adding an ARIA role to a generic div. Also check what happens using only the keyboard.