Form labels

Why it matters

Screen readers announce a form field by its label. Without one, visitors hear only ‘edit text’ and cannot tell what to type. Placeholder text is not a substitute because it disappears while typing. This is WCAG success criteria 1.3.1 and 4.1.2.

How to fix it

1. Add a <label for="field-id"> to every input, select and textarea.
2. If the design has no visible label, use a visually hidden label or aria-label.
3. Keep placeholders for examples, not instructions.

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