Link text replaced by aria-label
attribute
Screen reader compatibility
Expected Result: works in a screen reader
Actual Result: causes problems in 14 screen reader / browser combinations
A much more reliable alternative is changing the text inside in the link element start and end tags.
Tests if the user hears the ARIA label as specified by HTML Accessibility API Mappings
WCAG Technique: ARIA8
Code used for this test:
<a href='4567.html' aria-label='this is an aria label'>Click Here</a>
Reliability Trend
This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.
Change History
Last updated: September 11, 2022
NVDA with Chrome Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
NVDA with IE Better - caused problems in NVDA 2014.1, but now OK in NVDA 2019.2
NVDA with FF Better - caused problems in NVDA 2014.1, but now OK in NVDA 2022.2
JAWS with Chrome Stable - OK from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
JAWS with IE Stable - OK from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
JAWS with FF Better - caused problems in JAWS 2018.1811.2, but now OK in JAWS 2022.2207.25
VoiceOver macOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
VoiceOver iOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6
WindowEyes with IE Better - caused problems in WindowEyes 8.4, but now OK in WindowEyes 9.2
Dolphin with IE OK in Dolphin SR 15.05
SaToGo with IE Causes problems in SaToGo 3.4.96.0
Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF48 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF48 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF40 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF40 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF28 | Reading | aria-label ignored | link click here |
![]() | FF28 | Tabbing | aria-label ignored | Click here, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | aria-label ignored | link click here |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | aria-label ignored | Click here, link |
![]() | FF28 | Reading | aria-label ignored | link click here |
![]() | FF28 | Tabbing | aria-label ignored | click here link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | aria-label ignored | link click here |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | aria-label ignored | click here link |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | Tab, this is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | aria-label ignored | Link, click here |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | Tab, this is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Tab, this is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF52 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF52 | Tabbing | Tab, this is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Tab, this is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF48 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF48 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF40 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF40 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF29 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF29 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label, click here. | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF29 | Reading | link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | FF29 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | link, this is an aria label, click here | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | FF28 | Reading | aria-label repeated 5 times | link, this is an aria label, this is an aria label, this is an aria label, this is an aria label, click here |
![]() | FF28 | Tabbing | aria-label repeated 5 times | This is an aria label, this is an aria label, this is an aria label, this is an aria label, click here link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | link, this is an aria label, click here | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, click here link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | aria-label ignored | Link click here |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 9.1.2 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 9.1.2 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 8.0.6 | Reading | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 8.0.6 | Tabbing | Link, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 7.0.3 | Reading | link, click here, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari 7.0.3 | Tabbing | link, click here, this is an aria label | |
![]() | Safari iOS 15.6 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 14.7 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 13.3 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 12.4 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 11.4 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 10.3 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 9.1 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 8.4 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | Safari iOS 7.1 | Touch | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | This is an aria label, click here, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is an aria label, link | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | aria-label ignored | link click here |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | aria-label ignored | click here link |
SortSite rules: AccHtmlLinkTextAmbiguous
Test notes
All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.
Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:
- Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
- Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
- Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
- Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device
In the “What the user hears” column:
- Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
- Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
- Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
- (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear