FAQs – IPCO

Privacy Information Notice – IPCO

Consultations – IPCO

Errors – IPCO

Investigatory Powers – IPCO

Inspections – IPCO

Chief Executive – IPCO

Who we are – IPCO

What we do – IPCO

The double-lock – IPCO

People using screen readers are not able to see the layout of a form. To make forms
accessible, they must define explicit text labels for each form control. 

Usually the best solution is to use a `<label>` element. The label may be linked to 
by the form control:

```html
<label for="name">Full name</label>
<input type="name" id="name">
```

or the `<label>` can be wrapped around the form control:

```html
<label>
    Full name <input type="name">
</label>
```

Buttons are different, as their labels are specified by the code for the button, e.g.

```html
<input type="submit" value="Send message">
<button>Send message</button>
```

Alternatively ARIA attributes, such as `aria-label` may be used, but this information
will not be conveyed to visual users. For more information, see [W3C's guide to labeling controls](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/forms/labels/).

Hidden input fields (`<input type="hidden">`) do not require labels.
Note that the `placeholder` attribute 
[should not be used as an alternative to a label](https://www.w3.org/TR/html/sec-forms.html#the-placeholder-attribute),
nor should the `title` attribute.

## Custom roles

Note that this check considers the underlying accessible role of an element, which can be 
different from the tag itself.

For example, this `<div>` has a `role` of `button`, and so is expected to have a label, like
a button would.

```html
<div role="button"></div>
```

form-control-labels

June 2025

May 2025

Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office

Title / URL	Issues
FAQs – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/faqs/	1
Privacy Information Notice – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/privacy-information-notice/	1
Consultations – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/publications/consultations/	1
Errors – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/what-we-do/errors/	1
Investigatory Powers – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/investigatory-powers/	1
Inspections – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/what-we-do/inspections/	1
Chief Executive – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/who-we-are/chief-executive/	1
Who we are – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/who-we-are/	1
What we do – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/what-we-do/	1
The double-lock – IPCOwww.ipco.org.uk/what-we-do/the-double-lock/	1

Ensure form controls have labels

Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office

Where this issue has occurred