Published November 11, 2026

WCAG 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus, Level AA

Does WCAG require hover content to be dismissible?

Yes at Level AA when pointer hover or keyboard focus shows extra content and then hides it. Success criterion 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus requires that content to be dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. Native browser tooltips from the HTML title attribute are excepted. The text is in the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation.

What does content on hover or focus require?

Custom tooltips, sub-menus, and other nonmodal popups that appear on hover or focus, then disappear, are in scope. The W3C explanation is in Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.13. Three conditions apply:

• Dismissible: there is a way to close the extra content without moving the pointer or keyboard focus, unless it is an input error or it does not obscure other content. Escape is a common mechanism.
• Hoverable: if hover opens it, the pointer can move onto the extra content without it disappearing. Content that cannot be hovered is failure F95.
• Persistent: it stays until hover or focus is removed, the user dismisses it, or the information is no longer valid. A short timeout that hides a tooltip while the person is still reading it fails.

Does a native title tooltip have to meet 1.4.13?

No. The criterion excepts additional content whose visual presentation is controlled by the user agent and is not modified by the author. Browser tooltips created from the HTML title attribute are the usual example. Author-styled hover cards, mega menus, and custom tooltips are not excepted. Content that cannot be dismissed without moving hover or focus is failure F114. Hover-only menus still have to work from the keyboard under 2.1.1, covered on the keyboard access page. A visible keyboard focus indicator is a separate check on the focus visible page.

How is this different from pause, stop, hide and skip links?

1.4.13 is about extra content that appears because of hover or focus. Moving, blinking, or scrolling content that starts by itself is 2.2.2, covered on the pause, stop, hide page. A skip link that becomes visible on keyboard focus is not additional content under 1.4.13; Understanding says hidden components made visible on focus, such as skip links, are out of scope. Bypass blocks is covered on the skip links page. Modal dialogs are also out of scope for 1.4.13 because they take keyboard focus.

Does the Title II web rule include content on hover or focus?

Yes. The Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That level includes 1.4.13. Governments with a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027. Smaller governments and special districts have until April 26, 2028. Who must comply is on the Title II web rule page. A scanner often misses a custom tooltip that vanishes or cannot be dismissed with Escape. A person checks that, which is why a passing score is not conformance, as covered on the scanner page. The fix belongs in the hover and focus templates, which is remediation.