1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose

Level AA · added in WCAG 2.1

When a form field asks for information about the user, such as their name, email or address, its purpose must be identified in code. On the web you do this with a valid HTML autocomplete value.

Who it helps

People with cognitive disabilities, memory loss or motor impairments can let the browser fill in fields instead of recalling and typing everything. Some assistive tools also use the purpose to show familiar icons next to fields.

How to meet it

Add an autocomplete attribute to every field that collects the user's own data, for example autocomplete="email", "given-name", "family-name", "tel" or "postal-code".
Use only the exact tokens from the HTML specification, which match the WCAG list of input purposes; made-up values like "e-mail" or "phone-number" do not count.
Use section and address prefixes when a form has two addresses, such as autocomplete="shipping street-address" and "billing street-address".
Do not set autocomplete="off" on fields that ask for the user's own information.
Leave autocomplete off fields about other people, such as a gift recipient's name; the criterion covers only data about the user.

Examples

Fails:Sign-up fields with no autocomplete values: the browser cannot tell what they are for

<label for="fname">First name</label>
<input id="fname" name="fname" type="text">
<label for="mail">Email</label>
<input id="mail" name="mail" type="email" autocomplete="off">

Fails:Invalid tokens that are not in the HTML autocomplete list

<label for="phone">Phone</label>
<input id="phone" type="tel" autocomplete="phone-number">

Passes:Each field uses a valid autocomplete token for its purpose

<label for="fname">First name</label>
<input id="fname" name="fname" type="text" autocomplete="given-name">
<label for="mail">Email</label>
<input id="mail" name="mail" type="email" autocomplete="email">

Passes:The phone field uses the correct token, tel

<label for="phone">Phone</label>
<input id="phone" type="tel" autocomplete="tel">

Can a scanner detect this?

Partly

Automated tools can check that any autocomplete value present is a valid token and fits the input type. They cannot know whether a field without autocomplete asks for the user's own data, or whether a token fits the field. A person must review each form.

axe-core rules that test it

autocomplete-valid

Common mistakes

Adding autocomplete="off" to whole forms to stop browser suggestions, which blocks autofill for the user's own data.
Using a token that does not match the field, such as autocomplete="name" on a field that only asks for the first name.
Assuming the name or id attribute, such as name="email", is enough to identify the purpose.

Official W3C explanation of 1.3.5

Check your own page

See which automated WCAG checks your page fails, with the failing elements and how to fix them.

Reviewed November 2, 2026