Element has a positive tabindex

What’s wrong

An element has a tabindex value greater than 0, which overrides the natural DOM focus order.

Why it matters

Keyboard users Tab through a page in DOM order by default. Positive tabindex values create a separate prioritised focus sequence that almost always produces a confusing, non-linear tab order. Users end up jumping to unexpected parts of the page, which is disorienting — especially for screen reader users who build a mental model of the page as they navigate.

How to fix it

Remove positive tabindex values. Fix the focus order by reordering your DOM instead.

<button tabindex="3">Submit</button>
<input tabindex="1" type="text" name="email">
<input tabindex="2" type="text" name="name">

<input type="text" name="name">
<input type="text" name="email">
<button>Submit</button>

tabindex="0" is fine — it adds an element to the natural tab order. tabindex="-1" removes an element from tab order but allows programmatic focus. Only positive values cause problems.

Learn more

• WCAG Understanding 2.4.3
• MDN: tabindex