Some accessibility testing tools (e.g. Lighthouse) may flag the Ally widget for having a tabindex greater than 0. This is expected behavior and relates to how the widget is designed to ensure reliable keyboard access.
Why the Tabindex Is Set Above 0
The widget may assign a positive tabindex (usually 1) to specific elements. This is done intentionally to:
- Ensure the Ally accessibility overlay can be reached quickly by keyboard users
- Allow certain “skip to content” or widget-trigger elements to receive focus when needed
- Maintain reliable keyboard access regardless of theme or page structure
This behavior is part of the plugin’s internal logic and is not a user-configurable setting.
Why Accessibility Tools Flag It
While it’s intentional, using a tabindex greater than 0 is not recommended in general accessibility best practices because:
- It overrides the natural focus order of the page
- It can interrupt expected keyboard navigation behavior
- It causes audit tools (like Lighthouse and Axe, etc.) to mark it as a potential issue
These tools flag the general pattern, not Ally’s specific implementation.
Is This a Problem?
In normal use, the positive tabindex does not harm accessibility, and is included to make the widget reliably keyboard-accessible across all WordPress setups.
However, because non-zero tabindex values can theoretically disrupt focus order, automated tools will still report it.
Summary
- Ally sets a positive tabindex on purpose
- It ensures fast and consistent keyboard access to the widget
- Most tools flag it because of general best-practice rules, not because it breaks accessibility • The value used is typically 1, only for specific widget elements
