Operable · Level AA · Introduced in WCAG 2.0
WCAG 2.4.5: Multiple Ways
Published by whatisADA / Grow Wild Agency · Updated
What this criterion means
Within a set of pages, offer more than one way to locate a page unless it is a process step or result. Navigation, search, a sitemap and well-structured indexes can serve different discovery needs.
A practical example
A documentation site has a topic navigation tree and a searchable index. Someone who does not know the product's internal category names can locate the same troubleshooting page by a familiar symptom.
How to check it
- Define the relevant set of pages and identify process-step exceptions.
- Try finding selected pages through two available mechanisms.
- Verify both mechanisms reach the intended live pages and remain available to keyboard and assistive-technology users.
What can be missed
Two links in the same menu are not necessarily two distinct ways to locate content. A search box that omits most pages or returns broken URLs is not a reliable alternative.
Record your test
Use this worksheet to record what you actually checked. Notes stay on this device when you choose Save; they are not sent to us. Avoid personal or confidential information on shared devices.
These are your observations, not automated results or a conformance certificate. A complete evaluation needs appropriate scope, supported technologies, all applicable criteria and relevant page states.
Primary sources and scope
This is independent implementation guidance with original examples. The linked standard contains the full definitions, exceptions and conformance requirements. A criterion or checklist alone does not establish legal applicability or whole-site conformance.