2.4 Navigable · SC 2.4.5

AA2 min read

Multiple Ways

More than one way is available to locate a web page within a set of web pages, except where the web page is the result of, or a step in, a process.

In plain language

There should be more than one way to find a specific page on the site — like both a search box and a navigation menu — unless that page is one step in a fixed process (like checkout).

Why it matters

Different people find content in different ways. Someone might struggle with a hierarchical menu but find exactly what they need through search, or vice versa. Offering only one path locks some people out of finding what they need efficiently.

In practice

Fails this criterion

A site only has a nested navigation menu, with no search bar, sitemap, or any other way to locate a specific page.

Meets this criterion

The same site offers both a search function and a category menu, so users can find pages the way that works best for them.

Test it yourself

Try to find a specific page on the site in at least two different ways (search, menu, sitemap, alphabetical list). If there's genuinely only one way to get there (and it's not part of a step-by-step process), this criterion is failing.

Read SC 2.4.5 on the official WCAG 2.2 specification ↗