Testing Keyboard Navigation
How to test keyboard accessibility - focus order, visible focus, focus traps, and skip links - so every user can operate your site.
6 min read - Updated 2026-06-15
Use this guide as a compact release reference, then validate the same breakpoints in Sizzy with synchronized devices and screenshot evidence.
Tab through everything
The fastest accessibility test is to put the mouse away and Tab through the page. Every interactive element should be reachable, the focus order should follow the visual order, and you should be able to complete every task. If focus skips an element or jumps around unpredictably, keyboard and screen-reader users are blocked.
Every interactive element is reachable by Tab
Focus order matches the visual reading order
Enter/Space activate buttons and links
Escape closes menus and dialogs
Make focus visible and contained
Two frequent failures: removing focus outlines for aesthetics, and failing to trap focus inside modals. Never set outline: none without a clear replacement - users must see where they are. Inside a dialog, focus should stay within it and return to the trigger on close. Skip links let keyboard users bypass repetitive navigation.
Always show a clear, visible focus indicator
Trap focus inside open modals and drawers
Return focus to the trigger when closing
Provide a skip-to-content link
Test across viewports
Keyboard behavior can change responsively - a mobile menu may have different focus handling than the desktop nav. Test keyboard flows at both mobile and desktop widths. Sizzy lets you exercise the same keyboard flow across viewports, so you confirm focus management works whether the navigation is collapsed or expanded.
Test keyboard flow in collapsed mobile navigation
Confirm focus management in the desktop layout too
Check off-canvas menus trap and restore focus
Verify skip links work at every width
Release checklist
All interactive elements are keyboard reachable.
Focus order matches the visual order.
A visible focus indicator is always present.
Modals trap focus and restore it on close.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test keyboard accessibility?
Put the mouse aside and navigate with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, and arrow keys. Confirm every interactive element is reachable, focus is visible, the order is logical, and you can complete every task.
Is it okay to remove the focus outline?
Only if you replace it with an equally clear, visible focus style. Removing focus indicators with outline: none and nothing in their place leaves keyboard users unable to see where they are, which fails WCAG.
What is a focus trap and when do I need one?
A focus trap keeps keyboard focus within an open modal or dialog so users can't tab to the obscured page behind it. When the dialog closes, focus should return to the element that opened it.
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