Consistent Navigation
Success Criterion 3.2.3 (Level AA)

Question

In your site or application, are you using consistent navigational structure and layout across all pages?

Why is this important

When navigation components are repeated across a series of web pages, it is important that these components are formatted and placed consistently so people can easily find and use them. Being consistent will benefit all users, especially those with low vision who typically magnify the screen, visual users who use spatial memory or visual cues, and screen reader users who benefit from consistent layout of navigational components.

Whom does it benefit?

Example 1:

As a person with low vision using screen magnification,
I want navigation menus to be consistent and in the same location from page to page
so that I can find them easily without panning through the entire screen on each webpage.

Example 2:

As a person who struggles with a cognitive disability,
I want the layout and navigation to remain consistent from page to page
so that I can easily locate and recognize the content I am looking for.

Example 3:

As a blind person using a screen reader,
I want a “skip to main content” link at the top of every page,
so that I can bypass the navigation and go directly to the main content of the page.

What should you do?

When designing a series of related web pages, the navigation should always be displayed in a consistent and predictable manner. On each page, where there are navigational components that are repeated across all the different pages, those elements should appear in the same relative location and order each time they are displayed.

How do you do it?

  • Determine which pages should use consistent navigation components that will be repeated across a series of related webpages.
  • For each identified page, make sure the navigation is in the same location and relative order as compared with the other similar pages in the site or application.

Need technical guidance?

Technical guidance is available for implementing this Success Criterion at the Understanding Success Criterion 3.2.3 - Consistent Navigation page.

Additional Resources to help you: