Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)

What it requires

The load-bearing phrase is no part. Where 2.4.11 tolerates a focused control being partly covered, 2.4.12 does not: the entire component must be visible the moment it takes focus (Source: W3C, Understanding SC 2.4.12 ) . The same two normative notes from 2.4.11 carry over: only the initial position of movable content is tested, and content the user can reveal without advancing focus (for example by pressing Escape) is not considered hidden.

Minimum (2.4.11) vs Enhanced (2.4.12)

Who it helps

The same users as 2.4.11, with a stronger, fully-visible guarantee (Source: W3C, Understanding SC 2.4.12 ) :

• Sighted keyboard users and people using switch devices, voice input, sip-and-puff, or scanning software, who must see the full focused control to operate it confidently.
• People with low vision under screen magnification, where even a partly covered control can be hard to read or act on.
• People with attention or short-term-memory limitations, who lose their place when any part of focus slips under fixed content.

How to meet it

The sufficient technique is the same as 2.4.11 — CSS scroll-padding, technique C43 (Source: W3C Technique C43 ) — but you must reserve space equal to the full height of every sticky element, so the focused control is scrolled entirely into the clear:

:root {
  /* Size to the FULL height of sticky elements so no part of the
     focused control is covered — this satisfies 2.4.12 (AAA), not just 2.4.11. */
  scroll-padding-top: 5rem;
  scroll-padding-bottom: 4rem;
}

The same alternatives also satisfy the Enhanced bar, provided nothing covers the control at all:

• Make overlays modal so they take focus and must be dismissed first.
• Have non-essential notifications close when focus moves past them.
• Displace or reflow the page for user-opened persistent content rather than overlaying it.

Should you target it?

2.4.12 is Level AAA, and W3C advises that AAA conformance is not a recommended general policy for whole sites because it cannot be met for all content (Source: W3C, Understanding Conformance ) . That said, this one is cheap: if your 2.4.11 fix already sizes scroll-padding generously, you likely meet 2.4.12 for free. It is a sensible target on flows where keyboard users matter most, such as checkout, account, and form-heavy pages.

How to test it

1. Tab through every focusable element at the relevant breakpoint and zoom level.
2. With sticky headers and footers, cookie banners, and any non-modal overlays present, watch each element as it receives focus.
3. If any part of an element is covered by author content when focused, it fails 2.4.12 — unless the user can reveal it without moving focus (for example, Escape).
4. Re-test at 200% zoom and on narrow viewports, where sticky elements take up more of the screen.

The focus trio (2.4.11–2.4.13)

• 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA — focused element not entirely hidden.
• 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), AAA — this page. No part hidden.
• 2.4.13 Focus Appearance, AAA — the indicator itself must be big and high-contrast enough to see.

Common questions