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3.3.7 Redundant Entry (A)

Help people avoid having to re-enter information.

What WCAG says:

“Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process is either:

  • auto-populated, or
  • available for the user to select.”

(with exceptions)

Understanding 3.3.7 Redundant Entry

What this means

Users do not have to manually re-enter information they have already provided, or information the service already knows, during the same process.

This needs to apply unless there’s a vital reason for them to re-enter information, such as security.

Why it matters

People do not have to use unnecessary effort to re-enter information. This can benefit people with cognitive impairments such as memory difficulties or limited concentration. It can also benefit people with motor impairments who use assistive technology to type information, as it reduces the amount of typing required.

How to check

This applies whenever a user is asked for information that they’ve either already entered (like their home address), or that has been provided to them (like a reference number).

Check that that information is either automatically filled in or selectable in a way that does not rely on the browser’s autocomplete functionality.

Any filled-in information also needs to stay populated on a page when:

  • the user navigates to a different page in the process and back again, or
  • the form generates an error

How to test in detail for 3.3.7 Redundant Entry

Good example

Previously-entered postcode can be selected

In this example, a user has already entered their home postcode as a delivery address. When they need to provide a billing postcode, their home postcode is made available for them to select, meaning it doesn’t have to be re-entered.

Billing postcode form with a text field and checkbox to select the previously entered postcode.

Common mistakes

User has to re-enter their reference number

In this example, a service is asking a user for a reference number that was already provided to them earlier in the process. They are then asked to re-enter that reference number. However, as the service already has the number, it should not be asked for again, or should be shown on screen for the user to confirm it.

Reference number field, containing a number, with hint text saying it was given to them in step 3b.