Incomplete draft: This document is an editor's copy that has no official standing and is incomplete. Particularly, the section WCAG 2.0 and MWBP Together is only an outline; WCAG 1.0 to MWBP is only partly filled out. It is subject to major changes and is therefore not intended for implementation. It is provided for review and feedback only. Please send feedback to public-bpwg-comments@w3.org (archive).
This page is part of a suite of related documents. Please refer to the “How to Use These Documents” section for more information.
If your content already meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, this page describes what needs to be done to meet all the Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP).
This section provides guidance on the “upgrade path” from WCAG 1.0 compliance to MWBP 1.0. For each of the WCAG 1.0 priorities (1, 2 and 3) already achieved, the BPs are classified in three broad categories representing the effort required, labelled for simplicity with keywords (nothing, something, everything):
${define_efforts}To summarize, if your content already complies with WCAG 1.0, to achieve compliance with MWBP 1.0, you need to do the following:
Nothing: content already complies with these BPs:
Something: more effort of some kind or a check, to comply with these BPs:
Everything: start from scratch to comply with these BPs:
[Not evaluated yet]. When reviewing the document the following list should be ignored. During document editing, it contains CPs, SCs or BPs not yet evaluated. It is progressively reduced as items are studied and moved to the “something”, “nothing” and “everything” lists. It will not appear in the finished document.
MWBP 1.0: Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element.
No further effort is required. [1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content)...] ensures compliance with this best practice.
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MWBP 1.0: Assign access keys to links in navigational menus and frequently accessed functionality.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages, unless you have informed the user and provided a means of stopping it.
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MWBP 1.0: Avoid free text entry where possible.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Take into account the trade-off between having too many links on a page and asking the user to follow too many links to reach what they are looking for.
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-->MWBP 1.0: When using background images make sure that content remains readable on the device..
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MWBP 1.0: Ensure that material that is central to the meaning of the page precedes material that is not.
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MWBP 1.0: Use clear and simple language.
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MWBP 1.0: Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast.
Partially covered by 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast…
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MWBP 1.0: Label all form controls appropriately and explicitly associate labels with form controls.
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MWBP 1.0: Position labels so they lay out properly in relation to the form controls they refer to.
Partially covered by 10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels…
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MWBP 1.0: Specify a default text entry mode, language and/or input format, if the device is known to support it.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Provide informative error messages and a means of navigating away from an error message back to useful information.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Do not rely on support of font related styling.
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MWBP 1.0:Do not use image maps unless you know the device supports them effectively.
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MWBP 1.0:Clearly identify the target of each link.
Partially covered by 13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link.
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MWBP 1.0:Do not use pixel measures and do not use absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.
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MWBP 1.0:Keep the number of keystrokes to a minimum.
Possibly, partially covered by 9.5&nsbp;Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links…
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MWBP 1.0:Provide only minimal navigation at the top of the page.
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MWBP 1.0:Provide consistent navigation mechanisms.
Covered by 13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner.
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MWBP 1.0:Do not use frames.
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MWBP 1.0:Do not rely on embedded objects or script.
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MWBP 1.0: Divide pages into usable but limited size portions.
Partially covered by 12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate
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MWBP 1.0: Provide a short but descriptive page title.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.
Covered by 10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear…
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MWBP 1.0: Provide pre-selected default values where possible.
Covered by 10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly…
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects by means of HTTP 3xx codes.
Covered by 7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically…
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MWBP 1.0: Limit scrolling to one direction, unless secondary scrolling cannot be avoided.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Use features of the markup language to indicate logical document structure.
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MWBP 1.0: Use features of the markup language to indicate logical document structure.
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MWBP 1.0: Organize documents so that if necessary they may be read without style sheets.
Covered by 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets.
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MWBP 1.0: Use style sheets to control layout and presentation, unless the device is known not to support them.
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MWBP 1.0: Create a logical order through links, form controls and objects.
Covered by 9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.
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MWBP 1.0: Where possible, use an alternative to tabular presentation.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use tables for layout.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use nested tables.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use tables unless the device is known to support them.
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MWBP 1.0: Carry out testing on actual devices as well as emulators.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Ensure that content provided by accessing a URI yields a thematically coherent experience when accessed from different devices.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Keep the URIs of site entry points short.
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-->MWBP 1.0: Ensure that information conveyed with color is also available without color.
Covered by 2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color…
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MWBP 1.0: Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.
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MWBP 1.0: Provide caching information in HTTP responses.
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MWBP 1.0: Exploit device capabilities to provide an enhanced user experience.
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MWBP 1.0: Ensure that content is encoded using a character encoding that is known to be supported by the device.
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MWBP 1.0: Indicate in the response the character encoding being used.
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MWBP 1.0: Where possible, send content in a preferred format.
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MWBP 1.0: Send content in a format that is known to be supported by the device.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not rely on cookies being available.
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MWBP 1.0: Take reasonable steps to work around deficient implementations.
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MWBP 1.0: Keep the number of externally linked resources to a minimum.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use graphics for spacing.
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MWBP 1.0: Resize images at the server, if they have an intrinsic size.
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MWBP 1.0: Specify the size of images in markup, if they have an intrinsic size.
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MWBP 1.0: Do not use images that cannot be rendered by the device. Avoid large or high resolution images except where critical information would otherwise be lost.
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MWBP 1.0: Limit content to what the user has requested.
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MWBP 1.0: Note the target file's format unless you know the device supports it.
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MWBP 1.0: Use terse, efficient markup.
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MWBP 1.0: Ensure that the overall size of page is appropriate to the memory limitations of the device.
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MWBP 1.0: Keep style sheets small.
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MWBP 1.0: Ensure that content is suitable for use in a mobile context.