Time Limits

Overview

In some cases, websites set time limits on how long a user can remain logged in or can remain inactive, or set limits on how long a user can interact with a particular piece of content. Some users take longer than others to read and interact with web content, including users interacting or reading via assistive technologies, users with cognitive or reading impairments, users with limited or no use of hands or arms, neurodivergent users, and others. Time limits can therefore be a barrier to many disabled users, and if a user cannot finish a task before they are stopped or logged out due to a time limit, that task can be impossible for them to complete.

As a result, time limits should be avoided when possible, and when implemented, should be long, adjustable, or easily extendible by users.

Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines allows several ways to make time limits accessible:

  1. Allows users to turn off the time limit before they encounter it.
  2. Allow users to extend the time limit to at least ten times the default duration before they encounter the time limit.
  3. Warn users at least 20 seconds before a time limit is reached, allow them to extend it via a simple action (e.g., a single button/keypress), and allow them to extend it at least ten times.
  4. Set the default time limit to be at least 20 hours.

Exceptions

If a time limit is essential (there is no way to achieve the necessary functionality without it and removing the time limit would fundamentally change the task or activity) and extending it would invalidate the activity, or if the time limit is part of a real-time event, and there is no potential alternative to the time limit, the time limit can be less than 20 hours without the option to extend or cancel it.

How to Test

  • If you are unsure whether a page has a time limit, remain inactive on it for 20 hours (for example, leave it in an inactive tab)
  • If a page has a time limit:
    • Check whether you can easily disable the time limit as a user and confirm that the option functions correctly.
    • Check whether you can easily extend the time limit to at least ten times the default duration before the limit is reached and confirm that the option functions correctly.
    • Remain inactive until the time limit is reached and then check whether you are warned, are given opportunity to easily extend the limit, are given at least 20 seconds to do so, and can do so at least ten times.
    • Confirm that any options to adjust, disable, or extend a time limit work with a keyboard alone.
    • Confirm that any warnings about time expiring are announced by a screen reader.

Additional Resources