A sign-up or checkout process that fails because of an accessibility error isn't just an abstract problem โ€” it's a customer who didn't complete a purchase, and sometimes a customer who won't come back. This article focuses on the most critical points in forms, sign-up, and checkout flows โ€” and if you're also interested in PDF forms, see our guide on accessible PDF forms.

In short โ€” what this article covers

  1. Real-time error messages
  2. Clear, persistent field labels
  3. Multi-step processes
  4. An accessible order confirmation

Real-time error messages

The most common mistake: an error message that appears visually (small red text next to the field) but isn't announced to a screen reader. A blind user fills out the form, clicks "Submit," and doesn't understand why nothing happens โ€” because they never hear about the error at all. The fix: use `aria-live` to automatically announce errors, and link each error directly to its relevant field with `aria-describedby`, so the screen reader reads the error aloud the moment the user reaches that field.

Clear, persistent field labels

Placeholder text (the gray text that disappears once you start typing) is not a substitute for a real field label โ€” the moment the user starts typing, they lose the context of what the field is even asking for. Every form field needs a real `

๐Ÿ’ก Practical tip

Required fields need double marking: visual (an asterisk or the word "Required") and also in the code (`aria-required="true"`), so that even a user who can't see the asterisk knows the field is required before hitting a submission error.

Multi-step processes

Multi-step sign-up or checkout flows (personal details โ–ธ shipping โ–ธ payment โ–ธ confirmation) need to clearly tell a screen reader which step the user is on out of how many total steps, and announce it when the user moves to the next step โ€” so a user who can't see the visual progress indicator doesn't lose their bearings partway through.

An accessible order confirmation

After completing a purchase or sign-up, the confirmation message itself needs to be accessible โ€” clearly announced to a screen reader (not just a silent visual change on the page), and including all the important information (order number, amount, delivery date) as real text, not as an image.

Do you have terms-of-service documents or order confirmations that get sent as PDFs?

Our tool also checks the documents that accompany purchase and sign-up flows โ€” terms of service, receipts, confirmations.

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After scanning, you can also make the documents that were found accessible directly and for free via AccessiDoc.