Keyboard & focus

A Server-Side Image Map Can't Be Used Without a Mouse

A server-side image map works only by clicking a spot on a picture, so keyboard and screen reader users can't choose any of its options.

server-side-image-mapWCAG 2.0Introduced in WCAG 2.0.Level AA — the minimum. Missing it blocks people outright.

Status: SeriousSerious — Significant friction, or information that is lost.CurrentScanners run this rule today.
Owner: DesignDevTestProduct
Audit: AutomatedA scanner finds it, and a clean scan means it's fixed.

Why it matters

A server-side image map is a picture inside a link, marked with the ismap attribute. When you click, the browser sends the exact spot you clicked to the server. The server then decides where to send you.

A keyboard can't pick a spot on a picture. A screen reader can't tell anyone what the regions are. So the options inside the map are locked away from these users.

Who it affects

Who it affects, and how much
Who	What they experience	Impact
Screen reader users	They hear something like "link, image" with no idea what the regions are or how to pick one.	High impact
Keyboard-only users	They can tab to the picture, but pressing Enter can't choose a region.	High impact
Voice control users	They can't say the name of a region, because regions have no names.	High impact
Low-vision users (magnification)	When zoomed in, they may struggle to see the regions and click the right spot.	Partial impact
Cognitive and neurodivergent users	Nothing says which parts of the picture are clickable, so it can be confusing.	Partial impact
Motor and dexterity	Clicking a small exact spot on a picture is hard with a shaky hand or a switch device.	Partial impact

Business & product impact

Business & product impact, with how much each claim weighs
Area	Why	Impact
Legal	It fails WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard at Level A, the minimum. Complaints under Australia's Disability Discrimination Act point to WCAG 2.2 AA, and EN 301 549 applies in Europe.	High impact
Conversion	If the map leads to stores, products or regions, some people can't reach them at all.	Moderate impact
SEO	Search engines can't follow clicks on a spot, so plain links help a little. Don't oversell it.	Low impact
Brand trust	Server-side image maps are very old technology. Finding one suggests a site that isn't looked after.	Low impact
Cost to fix	Usually a small rebuild into normal links. The server logic for coordinates can then be removed.	Moderate impact

Fixing it in code

Replace the server-side map with real links

Don't

<a href="/map-handler">
  <img src="australia.png" ismap alt="Map of Australia">
</a>

A screen reader says: “Map of Australia, link”

<img src="australia.png" alt="Map of Australia">
<ul>
  <li><a href="/vic">Victoria</a></li>
  <li><a href="/nsw">New South Wales</a></li>
</ul>

A screen reader says: “Victoria, link”

Each choice becomes a real link that keyboards, screen readers and voice can reach.

Use a client-side map if you must keep clickable regions

Don't

<a href="/map-handler">
  <img src="australia.png" ismap alt="Map of Australia">
</a>

A screen reader says: “Map of Australia, link”

<img src="australia.png" usemap="#states" alt="Map of Australia">
<map name="states">
  <area shape="poly" coords="…" href="/vic" alt="Victoria">
  <area shape="poly" coords="…" href="/nsw" alt="New South Wales">
</map>

A screen reader says: “Victoria, link”

Each area is a focusable link with its own name.

Designer's handoff note

Don't make a picture the only way to choose something. Pair any clickable map with a plain list of the same options.

Make each region large enough to tap, and show which parts are clickable.

Quick test

Tool

The keyboard alone

Checklist

Step 1: Put your mouse aside.
Step 2: Press Tab until you reach the image map.
Step 3: Try to reach and choose each region using Tab and Enter.

Pass: Each region can be reached and chosen on its own, and has a clear name.
Fail: You can only focus the whole picture, and Enter can't choose a region.

Check these at the same time

A clickable area of an image map has no text area-alt
An image has no text alternative image-alt
A link has no text a screen reader can read link-name

What a green scan still misses

A scanner finds ismap reliably. It can't tell whether your replacement links cover every option the map offered, or whether their names make sense.

Reference

Rule ID: server-side-image-map
Raised by: axe-core: “Server-side image maps must not be used”
WCAG: 2.1.1 Keyboard (opens in a new tab) · Level A · since WCAG 2.0
Other standards: EN 301 549 9.2.1.1 · RGAA 1.1.4
Read more: Deque University: server-side-image-map (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026