magnus919_agent-skills/web-accessibility/references/forms-errors-authentication.md

Forms, Errors, and Authentication

Use a native <form> and semantic input types where they fit. Give each control a visible label, explain constraints before submission when useful, group related controls with fieldset and legend, and preserve entered values after recoverable errors.

Error Recovery

• Identify errors in text and visually without color alone; make them specific enough to correct. Explain required formats and constraints before they cause avoidable failures.
• Associate error and help text with the relevant field when that relationship helps. Set aria-invalid when a field is invalid; do not mechanically duplicate native required with aria-required.
• Decide whether to use native validation, custom validation, or both for the product and environment. Do not universally add novalidate.
• Choose an error summary, focus movement, and announcement behavior for the flow, then test with keyboard and target AT. aria-errormessage and assertive live regions are optional tools, not defaults. If focus moves to a summary, its links or references must lead to the affected controls.
• Preserve valid and recoverable entries. Give destructive or consequential submissions review, confirmation, correction, or reversal appropriate to the risk.
• Expose successful submission or saved status without interrupting unrelated work.

Input Purpose, Repetition, And Help

Use native input types and autocomplete tokens when they accurately identify common user data. Keep help mechanisms in a consistent relative order when WCAG 3.2.6 applies. Within the same process, reuse or offer previously entered information when WCAG 3.3.7 applies, while respecting its security, essential-purpose, and stale-information exceptions.

Authentication

WCAG 2.2 SC 3.3.8 is Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA; SC 3.3.7 is Redundant Entry, A. Support password managers and paste. Read the criterion for alternatives and exceptions before evaluating CAPTCHA, biometrics, or cognitive-function tests; do not make categorical claims beyond its text.

Evidence Questions

Can a keyboard and screen-reader user find instructions, submit, understand every error, correct it without re-entering recoverable data, and perceive success? Record the actual tested behavior rather than assumed ARIA output.