Title Attributes
Difficulty: Advanced
Category:
- Content
- Presentation
As defined in the HTML specification, the title attribute is for “advisory information”. As such, it should not be relied on to provide accessibility. The title attribute is generally ignored by screen readers, except when used on form elements that do not have labels, frames and iframes, and acronym and abbreviation (though many screen readers and screen reader settings ignore title for even these elements). The title attribute value can be used to present additional, supplementary information, but you cannot be sure it will be read. It is not visible to sighted keyboard-only users or to users who do not hover their mouse over the element (e.g., on touchscreen devices). Additionally, because title generates a browser tooltip when the mouse is placed over an element, it should be used with care and should not present redundant information that is already apparent visually in the page.