Tab order doesn't match visual order

What’s wrong

Pressing Tab moves focus to an element in a different order than the visual layout suggests, causing confusion for keyboard users.

Why it matters

Keyboard users rely on a predictable tab sequence that follows the visual reading order. Unexpected jumps make pages difficult or impossible to use.

How to fix it

Remove positive tabindex values (tabindex="1", tabindex="2" etc.) which override natural DOM order. Reorder elements in the DOM to match the visual layout instead.

<button tabindex="2">Second visually</button>
<button tabindex="1">First visually</button>

<button>First visually</button>
<button>Second visually</button>

Learn more

• WCAG Understanding 2.4.3
• MDN: tabindex