ARIA Label Best Practices

ARIA label best practices ensure interactive elements have accessible names that screen readers announce clearly. Proper labeling enables assistive technology users to understand element purposes and make informed interaction decisions.

What Are ARIA Labels

ARIA labels provide accessible names for elements when native HTML labeling mechanisms are insufficient or unavailable. The aria-label attribute assigns a text string directly to an element. The aria-labelledby attribute references another element whose text content becomes the accessible name.

Accessible names answer the question “what is this element?” for assistive technology users. A button’s accessible name might be “Submit form” or “Close dialog.” A navigation region’s accessible name might be “Primary navigation.” These names appear in screen reader announcements and accessibility APIs.

Native HTML provides labeling mechanisms that should be preferred when possible. The label element for form inputs, visible text content for buttons and links, alt attributes for images. ARIA labeling supplements these mechanisms when native options cannot apply.

How ARIA Labels Work

The aria-label attribute provides a text string directly as the accessible name. This string overrides any text content the element might contain. A button with visible text “X” might use aria-label=“Close” to provide a more descriptive name for screen reader users.

The aria-labelledby attribute references one or more elements by ID. The referenced elements’ text content concatenates to form the accessible name. This approach maintains a single source of truth when visible labels should also serve as accessible names.

Accessible name calculation follows a hierarchy. aria-labelledby takes highest precedence, then aria-label, then native mechanisms like the label element or text content. Understanding this hierarchy helps predict what name screen readers will announce.

Design systems use ARIA labels in component implementations where native labeling falls short. Icon buttons receive aria-label since icons lack text content. Landmark regions receive aria-label to distinguish multiple landmarks of the same type. Custom widgets receive appropriate labeling through component props that map to ARIA attributes.

Key Considerations

• Use native labeling (label element, visible text) before ARIA when possible
• Write concise, descriptive labels that communicate purpose
• Avoid redundant words like “button” in button labels (screen readers add the role)
• Use aria-labelledby when referencing visible text to maintain consistency
• Ensure aria-labelledby IDs reference existing, visible elements
• Test labels by listening to screen reader announcements
• Document required label props in component APIs

Common Questions

When should aria-label be used versus aria-labelledby?

aria-label works best when no suitable visible text exists to reference or when the accessible name needs to differ from visible content. Icon buttons with no visible text need aria-label. Controls with visible labels that would be confusing out of context might need different aria-label values.

aria-labelledby works best when visible text should also serve as the accessible name, ensuring screen reader users hear exactly what sighted users read. It also enables combining multiple text elements into a single accessible name by referencing multiple IDs.

How should icon buttons be labeled?

Icon buttons require accessible names since the icon itself is not announced meaningfully. The aria-label attribute provides this name directly on the button. The label should describe the action, not the icon: “Close” rather than “X icon” for a close button.

If the icon has a tooltip or adjacent text that provides the same information, aria-labelledby can reference that text. This maintains consistency between what all users perceive. Design systems should enforce that icon buttons always receive accessible names.

Can aria-label contain rich formatting or multiple sentences?

aria-label should contain plain text without HTML formatting. Screen readers announce the text as a single string. Long, complex labels can confuse users who hear them in linear announcements.

Effective labels are concise and action-focused. “Submit application” rather than “Click this button to submit your application to the system for review.” If complex instructions are needed, aria-describedby can provide additional context separate from the label.

Summary

ARIA label best practices ensure elements have meaningful accessible names through aria-label and aria-labelledby attributes. Effective labels are concise, descriptive, and action-oriented, enabling screen reader users to understand element purposes without visual inspection.