Techniques for WCAG 2.0

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# H64: Using the title attribute of the frame and iframe elements

## Applicability

HTML and XHTML documents that use frames or iframes

This technique relates to:

- Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks)
  - How to Meet 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks)
  - Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks)
- Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
  - How to Meet 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
  - Understanding Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)

## User Agent and Assistive Technology Support Notes

The use of the `longdesc` attribute on frame and iframe elements is not supported well by assistive technologies.

## Description

The objective of this technique is to demonstrate the use of the `title` attribute of the `frame` or `iframe` element to describe the contents of each frame. This provides a label for the frame so users can determine which frame to enter and explore in detail. It does not label the individual page (frame) or inline frame (iframe) in the frameset.

Note that the `title` attribute labels frames, and is different from the `title` element which labels documents. Both should be provided, since the first facilitates navigation among frames and the second clarifies the user's current location.

The `title` attribute is not interchangeable with the `name` attribute. The `title` labels the frame for users; the `name` labels it for scripting and window targeting. The `name` is not presented to the user, only the `title` is.

## Examples

### Example 1

This example shows how to use the `title` attribute with `frame` to describe the frames containing the navigation bar and the document.

Example Code:

    <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
      <head>
        <title>A simple frameset document</title>
      </head>
      <frameset cols="10%, 90%">
        <frame src="nav.html" title="Main menu" />
        <frame src="doc.html" title="Documents" />
        <noframes>
          <body>
            <a href="lib.html" title="Library link">Select to
            go to the electronic library</a>
          </body>
        </noframes>
      </frameset>
    </html>

### Example 2

This example shows how to use the title attribute with `iframe` to describe the contents of an inline frame. The example also includes an alternative link to the page included by the iframe element for older browsers, which may not understand the `iframe`element.

Example Code:

     <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
      <head>
        <title>A document using iframe</title>
      </head>
    ...
    <iframe src="banner-ad.html" id="testiframe"
      name="testiframe" title="Advertisement">
        <a href="banner-ad.html">Advertisement</a>
    </iframe>
    ...
    </html>

## Resources

Resources are for information purposes only, no endorsement implied.

- HTML 4.01 FRAME element

- HTML 4.0.1 Inline frames: the IFRAME element

- Accessible Navigation, "Implementing Frame Titles"

## Tests

### Procedure

1. Check each frame and iframe element in the HTML or XHTML source code for the presence of a title attribute.

2. Check that the title attribute contains text that identifies the frame.

### Expected Results

- Checks #1 and #2 are true.

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