Important: This website does not attempt to establish a standard for how assistive technologies must behave. Read the FAQ for more information. Additionally, this is a work in progress. Please submit feedback or suggestions.

details element (html)

Screen Reader support level: supported

On this page

About this feature

The details element represents a disclosure widget from which the user can obtain additional information or controls.

Age of results

Results across all tests for this feature range from 3 years ago to 4 years ago. Detailed dates and version information can be found in associated tests.

Expectations

What are expectations?

Screen Reader support by expectation

ExpectationJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
MUST convey its rolesupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupported
MUST convey the name of the group if the group role is conveyednot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicable
MUST convey the boundaries of the details element if the group role is conveyednot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicable

Expectation: convey its role

Rationale:

A screen reader user needs to know how they can interact with the element. Voice control software might use the role to help users activate controls that do not have a visible name.

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA

Examples:

  • A screen reader might announce the role as "group" or "details"
  • A screen reader might consider the group as presentational and not convey a group role
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey its role'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
HTML basic details/summary test with a heading in the summarysupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupported

Expectation: convey the name of the group if the group role is conveyed

Rationale:

A screen reader user needs to know what to enter.

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey the name of the group if the group role is conveyed'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
HTML basic details/summary test with a heading in the summarynot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicable

Expectation: convey the boundaries of the details element if the group role is conveyed

Rationale:

A user needs to know when they enter and exit an element

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA

Examples:

  • A screen reader might announce the role of the element when entering and say something like "leaving" when exiting.
  • A screen reader might not explicitly announce entering and existing the element, but instead imply that the is in the containing object by conveying the roles of required children (options in a listbox for example).
  • A screen reader might announce position in set information such as "1 of 6".
  • A screen reader might not convey boundaries if the content fits on a single line
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey the boundaries of the details element if the group role is conveyed'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
HTML basic details/summary test with a heading in the summarynot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicablenot applicable

Related features

These are features that are usually used in combination with this feature.

summary element (html)

DragonJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoice AccessVC iOSVC MacOSVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)Speech RecognitionWindows Voice AccessWindowsMaciOSAndroid Keyboard
no known supportsupported with 1 unknown resultpartial (3/5)partial (10/13)supported with 1 unknown resultsupported with 1 unknown resultsupported with 1 unknown resultsupported with 1 unknown resultno known supportpartial (1/5)supported with 1 unknown resultsupported with 1 unknown resultunknownunknownunknownunknownunknown

We are missing data on some combinations.