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The Keys That Move Between Tabs in an Accessible Tab List

A tab list — Overview / Pricing / Reviews — currently has focus on the "Overview" tab. Per the standard ARIA tab-list keyboard pattern, which keys should move focus to the next tab, without a separate Tab press?

Solution

The correct answer is "Arrow Left/Right."

In the standard ARIA Authoring Practices tab-list pattern, Arrow Left/Right move between tabs once the tab list has focus, with the selected tab's panel receiving focus or being announced without a separate Tab press — Tab itself moves focus out of the tab list entirely, to the next focusable element on the page.

Tab alone would skip past sibling tabs to the next focusable element, not step between them. Arrow Up/Down is the pattern for vertically stacked widgets like dropdown menus, not a horizontal tab list. Space activates a focused control in some widgets, but it isn't how you move between tabs.

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