When you add tooltips to your web interface, accessibility must be a priority. Tooltips are often used to provide extra information, hints, or guidance for users, but if they are not implemented with accessibility in mind, some users may be unable to benefit from them. In particular, users who rely on screen readers or keyboard navigation need tooltips to be discoverable and understandable. This is where ARIA roles and attributes play a vital role.

ARIA—Accessible Rich Internet Applications—attributes help communicate the presence and purpose of UI elements to assistive technologies. For tooltips, the most important ARIA roles are aria-describedby, which links an element to its tooltip content, and role="tooltip", which explicitly identifies a tooltip for screen readers. Tippy.js is designed to support these best practices out of the box, ensuring that tooltips are both visible and accessible.

Focus management is another essential aspect. When a user navigates a form using the keyboard, tooltips should appear when the relevant input receives focus and disappear when focus moves away. Tippy.js automatically handles this behavior, making sure keyboard users have the same access as mouse users. Furthermore, Tippy.js tooltips are announced by screen readers when the input is focused, thanks to the correct use of ARIA attributes.

Keyboard navigation is also supported: users can tab to inputs, trigger tooltips with focus, and move on without any obstacles. This seamless experience is crucial for users who cannot use a mouse or rely on assistive devices.