Forms & errors

A Form Field's Autocomplete Value Is Misspelt or Not Recognised

When a field's `autocomplete` value is wrong, the browser can't fill in someone's details for them, so they must type everything by hand.

autocomplete-validWCAG 2.1Introduced in WCAG 2.1.Level AAAA — the Australian baseline (WCAG 2.2 AA) most laws and policies ask for.

Status: SeriousSerious — Significant friction, or information that is lost.CurrentScanners run this rule today.
Owner: DesignDevTest
Audit: Automated+ManualA scanner finds it; a person confirms the fix.

Why it matters

The autocomplete attribute tells the browser what a field is for, like an email or a postcode. The browser can then offer saved details in one tap.

If the value is misspelt or made up, the browser ignores it. People who find typing slow, painful or confusing lose a shortcut they rely on.

Who it affects, and how much
Who	What they experience	Impact
Cognitive and neurodivergent users	They have to remember and spell details like card numbers and addresses without help.	High impact
Motor and dexterity	They must type every detail by hand, which is slow and can hurt.	High impact
Screen reader users	They hear the field fine, but no saved details are offered, so typing takes longer.	Partial impact
Low-vision users (magnification)	They type more under zoom, where typos are harder to spot.	Partial impact
Keyboard-only users	The form still works, but they press many more keys.	Partial impact
Voice control users	They must dictate each detail, letter by letter, instead of picking a saved one.	Partial impact

Business & product impact, with how much each claim weighs
Area	Why	Impact
Legal	It relates to WCAG 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose, at Level AA. Complaints under Australia's Disability Discrimination Act and EN 301 549 point to WCAG.	High impact
Conversion	Autofill makes sign-up and checkout faster. Broken autofill means more people give up.	High impact
SEO	No real search benefit — don't sell it as one.	Low impact
Brand trust	A form that won't autofill feels old and fiddly to everyone.	Moderate impact
Cost to fix	Usually a one-word fix. Fix it once in the shared form components.	High impact

Don't

<label for="email">Email</label>
<input id="email" type="email" autocomplete="email-address">

A screen reader says: “Email, edit text — no saved email is offered”

<label for="email">Email</label>
<input id="email" type="email" autocomplete="email">

A screen reader says: “Email, edit text — the saved email is offered”

email is a value browsers know. email-address is not.

Don't

<label for="pc">Postcode</label>
<input id="pc" autocomplete="postal-code shipping">

A screen reader says: “Postcode, edit text — no saved postcode is offered”

<label for="pc">Postcode</label>
<input id="pc" autocomplete="shipping postal-code">

A screen reader says: “Postcode, edit text — the saved delivery postcode is offered”

Words like shipping must come before the field type.

In form specs, note what each personal field is for — name, email, phone, address, card. Developers can then add the right autocomplete value.

Tool

Chrome or Safari with a saved address

Checklist

A scanner checks the value is real. It can't tell if it matches the field — like email on a phone field — so test autofill yourself.

Rule ID: autocomplete-valid
Raised by: axe-core: “autocomplete attribute must be used correctly”
WCAG: 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (opens in a new tab) · Level AA · since WCAG 2.1
Other standards: EN 301 549 9.1.3.5 · RGAA 11.13.1
Read more: Deque University: autocomplete-valid (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026