Consistent Identification
Components that have the same functionality within a set of web pages are identified consistently.
In plain language
If the same feature or function appears more than once across the site, it should always have the same name or label — not be called something different each time.
Why it matters
If a "Search" button is called "Search" on one page and "Find" on another, a screen reader user or someone with a cognitive disability has to figure out all over again that these are actually the same feature, adding confusion and extra effort.
In practice
Fails this criterion
A search feature is labeled "Search" on the homepage but "Find" on the product listing page, even though it does exactly the same thing.
Meets this criterion
The same search feature is always labeled "Search," with the same icon, everywhere it appears on the site.
Test it yourself
Find a feature that repeats across multiple pages (like search, a "print" button, or a shopping cart icon) and check whether it always has the same name and icon. If the label changes for the same function, this criterion is failing.