consistent-identification-links

Ensures that components with the same functionality on a set of webpages have the same accessible name.

Description

If multiple components on a set of webpages perform the same function, they should be labeled consistently. This rule ensures that assistive technologies, like screen readers, can reliably identify each component based on its function.

People with difficulty in understanding non-text elements can depend on the text elements better if text elements are consistently used.

When components that perform the same function are labeled consistently, users who have learned how to use that functionality in one part of a webpage can easily apply the same knowledge elsewhere.

Example

Consider the following example in which the homepage has a link Contact us and another page in the same website has a Call Us link that directs the user to the same Contacts page of the website.

This causes confusion as the same functionality is named differently.

In contrast, the following website fixes this issue by naming both the links as Contact Us.

How to fix?

• Look for components in your website that perform the same functionality.
• Label such components identically.

Reference

• WCAG 3.2.4: Consistent Identification
• Technique G197: Using labels, names, and text alternatives consistently for content that has the same functionality