WCAG 3.3.4 — Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)
For commitments with legal, financial, or data-altering consequences, "Submit" can't be one accidental click. The submission must be reversible, verified, or confirmed.
What this requires
For web pages that cause legal commitments or financial transactions for the user to occur, modify or delete user-controllable data in data storage systems, or submit user test responses, at least one of:
- Reversible: submissions can be reversed.
- Checked: data entered is checked for input errors and the user has an opportunity to correct them.
- Confirmed: a mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalising.
How AI coding tools fail this
When asked to wire up "Submit order" or "Delete account", AI tools generate a single-click action that fires immediately. There's no confirmation step, no review screen, no undo.
The second pattern: confirmation modals that are easy to dismiss by accident — a large red "Delete" primary action and a tiny "Cancel" secondary, with Enter binding to the destructive button on focus.
The third: account-deletion flows that succeed instantly with no recoverable window. Even if a separate "undo" is documented, the operation has already destroyed data.
Edge cases
- Reversible submissions (e.g., an "undo send" window after email submission) satisfy the criterion without a review step.
- The three options are alternatives, not all required. Pick whichever fits the action best.
- Type-to-confirm is the strongest safeguard for irreversible destructive actions.
- Autocomplete and form-save can reduce the chance of input error but don't satisfy the "checked" path alone — explicit validation is needed.
- Test responses (online exams) need review-and-confirm before final submission.
How Jeikin handles this
The scanner flags single-step destructive actions (delete buttons, payment-submit buttons) that don't pass through a confirmation route. The dashboard records each finding and tracks the move to a reviewable, confirmable, or reversible flow.