WCAG 3.3.3: Error Suggestion

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OVERVIEW

Effort:

Complexity:Difficult
Duration:Slow

Important for:

Design, Development

To WCAG:

3.3.3 Error Suggestion

What's it about?

If an error occurs in an input field, the error message must give clear guidance on how the user can correct it — except in cases where providing details would pose a security risk, such as with passwords.

Illustration of a password change form with an incorrectly entered password. Below it is an error message that says: Password too short. It must be at least 12 characters long!

How to

Depending on your situation, you can implement one of the following options to meet the criterion. For a deeper dive, please refer to the linked WCAG techniques.

Error messages provide guidance
Error messages should clearly explain which field is affected and why the input is invalid.

Example:
- “The password is too short. It must contain at least 10 characters.”
- “The password must be at least 8 characters long and include a number.”
For security-relevant cases such as logins, more general messages may be used, e.g.:
- “Username or password incorrect.”
Ideally, include a hint or link that helps users correct the issue, such as a password reset option.
Technique(s):

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