accesskey values must be unique

Rule accesskeys-unique · Document, language & navigation · impact minor · Static + live

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Why it matters#

Duplicate accesskeys collide: the shortcut becomes ambiguous and only one (browser-dependent) target wins. This is a best-practice check — no WCAG criterion maps exactly, so it is bucketed under 2.1.1 Keyboard.

How to fix#

Assign each accesskey a distinct character, or remove conflicting ones.

Example#

<a accesskey="s" href="/a">A</a><a accesskey="s" href="/b">B</a>

<a accesskey="s" href="/a">A</a><a accesskey="b" href="/b">B</a>

WCAG success criteria#

2.1.1 Keyboard — Level A#

All functionality must be operable through a keyboard alone (composite widgets need roving tabindex or aria-activedescendant so every control is reachable and operable).

Understanding 2.1.1

Standards#

This rule contributes to the following standards:

WCAG A EN 301 549 Best practice

References#

• MDN — accesskey