Accessibility

Content has to work without colour, layout, or visual position. These rules cost almost nothing and exclude almost no one.

Informed by WCAG 2.2.

Device-neutral language

Use verbs that work for any input method — mouse, touch, keyboard, voice, switch.

✅ Prefer❌ Avoid
Select Save changes.Click the button on the right.
Open Notifications.Tap the bell icon.
Choose an environment.Hit Enter.

Meaningful links

Link text should make sense out of context. Screen readers can list every link on a page; "click here" tells the reader nothing about where it goes.

✅ Prefer❌ Avoid
Read the OpenTelemetry installation guide.Click here for the installation guide.
See AppSignal terminology for all key types.See more information.

No visual direction

Don't write "above", "below", "to the left", or "the button on the right". On a phone the left sidebar doesn't exist; to a screen reader "above" means nothing.

✅ Prefer❌ Avoid
In the previous step…See above.
In the following section…Use the option on the left.
Select Billing.Click the button below.

Alt text

Describe the purpose of the image, not every visual detail. Decorative images take empty alt text (alt="") so screen readers skip them.

✅ Prefer❌ Avoid
Namespace filter showing the web and API namespacesScreenshot of AppSignal
Billing page with invoice download linksimage001.png

Don't rely on colour

A red border alone isn't enough to communicate an error — pair it with an icon and a sentence. A green check alone isn't enough to communicate success — say so in words.

This is also why button hierarchy uses shape as well as colour; see buttons.

Screen readers