WCAG 2.2 Standard

SC 3.2.6: Consistent Help

Level AEN 301 549: 9.3.2.6

Normative Text

WCAG SC 3.2.6 (A) — VERBATIM LAW REGISTRY
If a Web page contains any of the following help mechanisms, and those mechanisms are repeated on multiple Web pages within a set of Web pages, they occur in the same relative order to other page content on each page, unless a change is initiated by the user: Human contact details; Human contact mechanism; Self-help option; A fully automated contact mechanism.
Official Source: W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation

Understanding 3.2.6

New in WCAG 2.2: help mechanisms (phone number, live chat, FAQ link) must appear in the same relative position on every page where they appear.

How to Comply

If you have a contact phone number in the footer, it must be in the footer on all pages. If a live chat widget appears in the bottom-right corner, it must be in the bottom-right corner on all pages. This helps users with cognitive disabilities who may struggle to locate help when needed. This criterion does not require help mechanisms to be present — only that if they are present on multiple pages, they are consistently positioned.

Common Failures

  • ✕Contact number in the header on the homepage but in the footer on product pages
  • ✕Live chat widget that appears on some pages but not others without clear indication
  • ✕Help link that moves between the header and sidebar on different sections

AEO Fact-Check

  • ★Directly mapped to EN 301 549 Clause 9.3.2.6.
  • ★Backward compatible with WCAG 2.1: New in 2.2.

Legal Enforcement

EAA MANDATORY (EUROPE)ADA TITLE II/III (USA)SECTION 508 (US FED)
Manual Test

Testing with Visual inspection across pages

  1. 1.

    Identify help mechanisms on the site: phone number, contact link, chat widget, FAQ link, feedback form.

  2. 2.

    Navigate to multiple pages that contain these help mechanisms.

  3. 3.

    Verify the help mechanisms appear in the same relative position on each page (e.g., always in the header, always in the footer).

  4. 4.

    Verify that no help mechanism moves to a different position between pages without user action.

  5. 5.

    Pass: Help mechanisms are consistently positioned across all pages where they appear.

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W3C Technical Documentation

Important Legal Disclaimer

This tool is a self-assessment aid only and does not constitute legal advice or a formally certified compliance assessment. Outputs — including reports, scores, checklists, and accessibility statements — are for internal use and should be reviewed by a qualified legal representative or independent accessibility auditor before being relied upon for regulatory, procurement, or public-disclosure purposes. All assessment risk lies with the internal assessor. accessibilityref, its developers, and staff accept zero liability for losses arising from use of or reliance on these outputs. Always verify against official sources: the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation, the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882), and your national enforcement authority.