a
element placeholder link with no event handler or href
attribute
Screen reader compatibility
HTML
Sep 11, 2022
Expected Result: works in a screen reader
Actual Result: causes problems in 8 screen reader / browser combinations
WCAG Technique: placeholder links
Code used for this test:
<a>Placeholder text</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 Stable - OK from NVDA 2017.3 to NVDA 2019.2
NVDA with FF Stable - OK from NVDA 2017.3 to 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 18.0.5038 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
JAWS with FF Stable - OK from JAWS 18.0.5038 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
VoiceOver macOS Causes problems in VoiceOver macOS 12.5
VoiceOver iOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver iOS 10.3 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6
SaToGo with IE Causes problems in SaToGo 3.4.96.0
Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | FF52 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | FF52 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Reading | Announced as clickable, but no event handler so nothing happens when clicked | Placeholder text, clickable |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Tabbing | Skipped when tabbing, as expected | |
![]() | Safari iOS 15.6 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Safari iOS 14.7 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Safari iOS 13.3 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Safari iOS 12.4 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Safari iOS 11.4 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | Safari iOS 10.3 | Touch | Placeholder text | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Announced as a link, but doesn't function as link | Link, placeholder text |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Announced as a link, but doesn't function as link | Placeholder text, link |
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