Help
Context-sensitive help is available for forms and user inputs that require it. Help can include format examples, on-page hints, linked guidance, or a contact mechanism.
What it asks
For forms that ask the user for information, context-sensitive help should be available within or alongside the form. Help can be inline format examples, expandable hint panels, linked help articles, a chat or contact option, or any combination that lets the user resolve questions without leaving the form.
The SC sits above 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions): labels say what the field wants, help explains why it wants it, what format to use, what to do if you can’t supply it.
How to meet it
- Include a “Why do we ask?” link or popover next to fields that ask for sensitive data (date of birth, SSN, income).
- Provide format examples directly under the field, not only in error messages.
- For multi-step or long forms, link to a help article specific to that step.
- Offer a contact mechanism (chat, email, phone) reachable from the form itself.
- Add tooltips that are keyboard-accessible (focusable, dismissible with Escape) for complex fields.
Common failures
- Tax, government, or medical forms with no in-context help on terms like “filing status” or “diagnosis code.”
- Job-application forms that ask for “previous salary” with no guidance on whether to include bonuses.
- Multi-step flows where help is only available before the flow starts, not during it.
- Help links that open in a new tab and lose the user’s form state.
Why it matters
This is a AAA criterion, so few sites aim for it explicitly. But forms that ask for non-obvious information (insurance, tax, medical, financial, government services) effectively require it — without contextual help, users with cognitive disabilities, low digital literacy, or first-time users of the service simply cannot complete the task. Sites in those sectors should treat 3.3.5 as a working target even if their formal compliance level is AA.