Check for form errors at the right moment

To help users and not confuse them, its important to choose the right moment to validate user input.

The best moment to validate input is when the user is finished filling out a form field or after submitting the form.

Avoid confusion or irritation

Imagine youre typing an email address and, after entering just the first character, an error message appears saying Invalid email address.

That message only disappears when the entire email address is filled out. This is not only annoying, it can also cause uncertainty and confusion: What am I doing wrong? Im not even finished yet, and its already wrong!.

Resources

Other pages in: Feedback on errors

  • Accessible feedback in forms

    How to offer feedback in forms in an accessible way. When you put care into preventing errors and clearly indicating when something goes wrong, users are much more likely to successfully submit a form.

  • HTML form validation

    At this time (2026), form validation by the browser is not sufficiently accessible.

  • Best message location

    For error messages, the best location is above the form field.

  • Use text for error messages

    Always write out the error message in text with clear, plain language.

  • Write clear error messages

    A custom-written error message gives the user the most guidance.

  • Error summary

    A user-friendly way to display errors is a combination of a summary above the form and repeating the error message for each form field.

  • Screen reader feedback

    There are several ways to provide feedback to screen reader users on form errors

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Disclaimer: This documentation is intended to help the WordPress community understand and implement accessible practices. It is not a replacement for the official Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Please read the full disclaimer.

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