Keyboard testing is one of the simplest ways to find accessibility problems on a website or application and you don’t need specialist software to get started. The following are typically the keyboard keys that you will use:
- Tab moves forward through links, buttons and form controls
- Shift + Tab moves backwards
- Enter activates links and some controls
- Space activates buttons and some other controls
- Arrow keys are used within some groups of controls
- Escape often closes dialogue boxes or menus
The exact keys can vary depending on the type of control.
What to look for
As you move around the page, ask:
- Can I reach everything I need and complete the main task without using a mouse?
- Can I always see where keyboard focus is and does it move in an order that makes sense?
- Can I use buttons, menus and other controls and can I move into and out of interactive components?
- Does focus ever get stuck or hidden behind other content or menus?
If you find a problem
Record:
- what happened
- what you expected to happen
- where the problem happens
- which key you used
Sources and further guidance: W3C - Easy Checks; WCAG 2.2 - Keyboard