Keyboard
positive-tabindex
WCAG 2.4.3 Focus Order Level A
Who this affects
A positive tabindex pulls this element out of the natural reading order, so the tab sequence no longer matches what is on screen.
How to fix it
Remove the positive tabindex. Put elements in the DOM in the order they should be reached, and use tabindex="0" only to make a custom control focusable.
How much work is it?
Usually a template or design change. That is a rough guide for planning, not an estimate for your codebase. A single content edit repeated across a template is a template change.
What a person still has to check
Passing this rule does not mean 2.4.3 passes. Automation checks part of the criterion, and the rest is a judgement:
Tab through the page and confirm the focus order matches the visual reading order.
Read 2.4.3 Focus Order in plain language
Where this check comes from
This is our own check, not an axe rule. We added it because the failure it catches is common and nothing else was catching it.
Find out whether your site does this
A scan checks this rule on every page it visits, and shows you the code and a screenshot of each place it fires.