3.2.5 Change on Request

Who it helps

Screen reader users and people with low vision may not notice that a new window opened or the page changed, and then get lost. People with cognitive disabilities and people who read slowly are disrupted by changes they did not start.

How to meet it

• Do not open pop-up windows when a page loads; open them only when the user activates a link or button.
• Use a server-side redirect instead of a timed meta refresh to send users to a moved page.
• Do not reload or update the page on a timer in a way that changes the context; let users choose when to refresh.
• Tell users in the link text when a link opens a new window or tab, and only open one when needed.
• If you must make automatic changes, give users a setting to turn them off.

Examples

<head>
  <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=/new-location">
</head>

<body onload="window.open('/special-offer')">
  <h1>Welcome</h1>
</body>

<main>
  <h1>This page has moved</h1>
  <p><a href="/new-location">Go to the new page</a></p>
</main>

<body>
  <h1>Welcome</h1>
  <a href="/special-offer" target="_blank">See this week's offer (opens in a new tab)</a>
</body>

Common mistakes

• Using a meta refresh with a delay to redirect users from old URLs.
• Opening a newsletter or offer window automatically when the page loads.
• Auto-refreshing a page of news or scores, which resets the reading position.

Related criteria

• 3.2.1 On Focus
• 3.2.2 On Input
• 2.2.4 Interruptions
• 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable

Official W3C explanation of 3.2.5