Live Region
A live region tells assistive technology when important page text changes. It can announce the update without moving focus.
Another example
An analyst refreshes a report, and focus stays on “Refresh.” A polite live region says, “Report updated, 18 rows.” A failed refresh uses an assertive alert only when the person must act at once.
Main parts
- 01Stable container
- 02Politeness setting
- 03Changed message
Use it when
Use it for updates that matter to the current task but happen after an action. Choose the least interrupting aria-live level.
Do not use it when
Do not announce every key press, timer tick, or visual change. Too many messages make the page hard to use.
Name used in code
aria-live=polite/assertive, role=status, or role=alert Before you ship
Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states.
Outcome: Use Live Region to solve this user need without losing the current context. User context: An analyst refreshes a report, and focus stays on “Refresh.” A polite live region says, “Report updated, 18 rows.” A failed refresh uses an assertive alert only when the person must act at once. Recommended pattern: Live Region. Why it fits: Use it for updates that matter to the current task but happen after an action. Choose the least interrupting aria-live level. Do not use it when: Do not announce every key press, timer tick, or visual change. Too many messages make the page hard to use. Product requirements: Define the default, loading, empty, error, success, and recovery states. Keep user input. Give clear feedback after every action. Accessibility and resilience: Use semantic HTML, full keyboard access, and visible focus. Make the layout work when zoomed and support reduced motion. Follow the project’s current rules. Do not add a new UI library unless the project already uses it. Acceptance criteria: The main task works with keyboard only and at 320px width. Focus and status changes are announced. Check loading, failure, retry, cancel, and reduced-motion paths. Evidence and limits (evidence boundary): The standard covers only the listed scope. It does not choose the visual style, product decision, or Vibulary example. Unknowns to confirm: Product wording, data source, analytics events, supported devices and languages, and platform limits.
Check this request
Review the current use of Live Region. Definition: A live region tells assistive technology when important page text changes. It can announce the update without moving focus. Release checks: Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states. Before changing code, report the evidence you found, gaps, severity, and the smallest safe fix.