Don’t rely on title or placeholder as the only label

Rule label-title-only · Forms · impact minor · Static + live

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Why it matters#

A title tooltip is invisible until hover (and unreachable on touch), and a placeholder disappears the moment the user types — so a control named only by one of these has no visible label exactly when the user needs it most.

How to fix#

Add a visible (or aria-labelledby pointing at visible text). Keep placeholder for example values, not as the field’s name.

Example#

<input type="text" title="Search terms">

<label for="q">Search</label><input id="q" type="text" title="Search terms">

Example#

<input type="email" placeholder="Email address">

<label for="em">Email</label><input id="em" type="email" placeholder="name@example.com">

WCAG success criteria#

3.3.2 Labels or Instructions — Level A#

Inputs need labels or instructions so users know what to enter.

Understanding 3.3.2

Standards#

This rule contributes to the following standards:

WCAG A EN 301 549 Best practice

References#

• W3C — Form Labels