Aria Describedby Checker
Paste your page HTML and find missing hint ids, empty error targets and unwired invalid fields.
What this tool gives you
Check describedby wiring
Paste your page HTML. Analysis runs locally in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.
Hint and error ids in aria-describedby must exist and contain text — invalid fields need a target too.
What this checker looks for
WCAG 1.3.1 and 3.3.1 fail when error or hint text is visible but never wired to the control.
Real ids
aria-describedby must point at an element that exists on the page.
Readable text
Empty hint spans do not help AT — put the message inside the target.
Invalid fields
aria-invalid=true or error classes need a describedby target.
Hidden skipped
hidden, submit, button, reset and image inputs are ignored.
Lead forms
Quote requests bounce when the error lives next to the field, not on it.
0–100 score
Track hint wiring across templates, not just the homepage.
How to wire a form hint
Three rules cover almost every silent error message in the wild.
Give the hint an id
Put the help or error copy in an element with a stable id.
Point describedby at it
Set aria-describedby on the control. Missing ids are ignored.
Wire invalid fields
aria-invalid=true without a target leaves AT with a flag and no fix.
Why answer engines care about describedby
Named hints are a cheap-to-parse signal that the form can recover, not a red banner trap.
| Signal | What engines infer | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| aria-describedby=id | The field has extra instructions. | Extractors can quote the hint, not a nearby div. |
| Resolved ids | The message actually exists. | AT can read the error instead of skipping it. |
| No empty targets | The hint has text. | Empty spans do not count as help. |
| WCAG 3.3.1 pass | Errors are programmatically determined. | Citable, trustworthy pages get quoted more often. |
| Invalid wiring | Broken fields explain how to fix. | Lower bounce on AI-referred lead forms. |
Related GEO pages
Describedby pairs with invalid-state wiring and fieldset grouping so the form can recover.
Aria Invalid Checker
Find form fields with bad aria-invalid tokens or unwired error text.
Aria Required Checker
Find bad aria-required tokens, asterisk-only fields and missing HTML required.
Fieldset Legend Checker
Find radio groups missing a fieldset and legend.
Tools Lab
More generators, calculators and GEO workflows.
Aria describedby FAQs
What does aria-describedby need to point at?
A real element id that contains the hint or error text. Missing ids are ignored, so AT never hears the message sitting next to the field.
Is a red error under the input enough?
No. Sighted users see the copy. Screen readers need aria-describedby on the control itself. The checker fails aria-invalid fields with no target.
Does an empty hint span pass?
No. The id can exist and still be empty. Put the message inside the target so AT has something to read.