Behavior & Accessibility

Accessibility: Focus Trap and ARIA

3 min read

Notifal includes Accessibility settings on the Behavior tab so notifications work better for visitors using screen readers or keyboard navigation.

These options are available on the free plan. They do not require Notifal Pro.

The three accessibility toggles

SettingDefaultWhat it does
Enable ARIA LabelsONAdds proper ARIA roles and labels so assistive technology understands the notification
Focus TrapOFFKeeps keyboard focus inside the notification while it is open (Tab cycles within it)
Announce to Screen ReaderOFFSpeaks notification content when it appears so blind users know something new showed up

Enable ARIA Labels

Leave this ON unless you have a specific reason to turn it off.

Notifal adds labels that describe the notification region and close controls. Close buttons from templates also get a "Close Notification" label for screen readers. See HTML Builder: Buttons, Close Icon, and Click Tracking.

Focus Trap

Turn Focus Trap ON for Popup (Modal) notifications that need full attention.

What visitors experience:

  • Pressing Tab moves focus between links, buttons, and fields inside the popup only
  • They cannot accidentally tab into the page behind the popup
  • When the notification closes, focus returns sensibly

When to use it:

  • Sign-up popups, important offers, forms inside the notification

When to skip it:

  • Small corner toasts that should not block normal page navigation
  • Floating bars where visitors should keep browsing freely

Pair with Display Types: Popup and optional Prevent Page Scroll on the Behavior tab.

If you enable Dismiss on Escape Key (Pro), keyboard users can still press Esc to close. See User Interaction Dismiss Options (Pro).

Announce to Screen Reader

Turn this ON when the notification carries important information that sighted users notice visually but screen reader users might miss.

Good for:

  • Urgent alerts, legal notices, time-sensitive offers

Use with care for:

  • Frequent social proof toasts (can feel noisy if announced every few seconds)

Combine with Frequency and Session Limits so announcements do not repeat too often.

Pro adds Swipe to Dismiss under User Interaction. Free plan still supports touch-friendly sizing via template design and Position and Device Visibility settings.

In this topic

  1. Dismiss Rules
  2. User Interaction Dismiss Options (Pro)
  3. Accessibility: Focus Trap and ARIA (you are here)
  4. Tab Badge Behavior (Pro)