Ensuring accessible pop-ups: Best practices, challenges, and solutions

Previously, we've discussed guidelines and best practices for email accessibility. However, many email marketers also rely on on-site pop-ups for lead generation and contact base growth. Ensuring these pop-ups are accessible is just as crucial for providing an inclusive user experience.

Best practices for accessible on-site pop-ups

While pop-ups are powerful engagement tools, poor design can frustrate or exclude some users. Implementing accessibility best practices ensures a seamless experience for everyone.

1. Notify users when a pop-up appears

• screen reader users should receive a clear and concise announcement when a pop-up is triggered;
• if a pop-up is activated by a specific user action (e.g., clicking a button or link), the triggering element should indicate this behavior in advance; and
• when the pop-up opens, the screen reader should announce that focus has shifted to the pop-up.

2. Ensure proper keyboard focus

• when the pop-up opens, keyboard focus should automatically shift to it;
• there should be a focus lock to prevent users from tabbing outside the pop-up while it is open;
• once dismissed, the user's focus should return to the last active element before the pop-up appeared.

3. Allow easy dismissal

• pop-ups must be dismissible via the Escape key or voice command (for users relying on voice navigation);
• screen reader users should receive a clear message when the pop-up is closed.

4. Avoid triggering pop-ups on hover

• hover-triggered pop-ups can be difficult for keyboard and screen reader users to control. Use click activation instead.

5. Prevent website scrolling

• if a pop-up opens while website scrolling is enabled, users may accidentally shift focus away from the pop-up, causing confusion. To prevent this, disable background scrolling while the pop-up is open.

6. Ensure all pop-up content is accessible

• color contrast for text and UI: Maintain a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for text smaller than 18px bold or 24px normal. For larger text, a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 is required between the font and background;
• legible fonts: Use readable, scalable fonts that accommodate users with visual impairments. Avoid using italics and underlining, except when highlighting links;
• keyboard accessibility:
  • all interactive elements (buttons, links, form fields) must be navigable using the keyboard;
  • focus indicators should be clearly visible when tabbing;
• screen reader compatibility:
  • important content should be announced properly using ARIA roles or alternative descriptions;
  • call-to-action buttons must have meaningful labels, and links should be properly identified;
  • images should include appropriate alt text to describe their purpose within the pop-up.

7. Handle messages or form validation effectively

• if a pop-up includes error messages or form validation feedback, screen readers should clearly announce them;
• use AJAX to dynamically update error messages without requiring a page reload;
• if a page reload occurs, the pop-up must reopen automatically, shift focus to the error message, and announce it.

8. Allow resizing and keep scrollbars enabled

• users with low vision may need to resize windows or adjust text size for better readability, so content resizing must be allowed;
• this may require scrolling — ensure scrollbars remain enabled, as disabling them or restricting resizing can make navigation difficult;
• ensure that pop-ups function properly at different zoom levels without cutting off content or limiting interaction.

Ensuring proper screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and clear dismissal options can make the difference between a seamless experience and an inaccessible barrier. 

Best practices for pop-ups on mobile devices

Mobile pop-ups present unique challenges due to smaller screens, touch interactions, and varying device performance. 

Yuliia Zhuravlova, Head of Content at Claspo, shares insights and best practices to ensure mobile pop-ups remain accessible and user-friendly.

1. Adapt to limited screen space

• use responsive design to ensure pop-ups scale properly across all screen sizes;
• position pop-ups to avoid obstructing navigation or essential content;
• include a clear, easily accessible close button to prevent frustration.

2. Improve touch interaction

• ensure touch targets are at least 48×48 pixels to accommodate users with motor impairments;
• provide sufficient spacing between interactive elements to prevent accidental taps;
• test for conflicts between touch gestures (scrolling, swiping) and pop-up behavior to ensure smooth navigation.

3. Optimize performance and loading speed

• reduce file sizes and optimize pop-up assets for quick loading;
• hide large images on mobile devices while keeping them for desktop users;
• test pop-up performance under various network conditions (Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G) to ensure usability on slower connections.

Considerations when creating pop-ups for international audiences

Creating pop-ups for multilingual or international audiences requires more than technical compliance — it must also prioritize inclusivity for diverse users.

Yuliia Zhuravlova, Head of Content at Claspo, shares key recommendations to make pop-ups accessible and effective worldwide.

1. Enable language accessibility

• to ensure users can access pop-ups in their native language, use dynamic language switching that matches the user’s browser or system settings for seamless adaptation.

2. Support diverse typography and text flows

• right-to-left (RTL) languages (e.g., Arabic, Hebrew) require adaptable layouts to prevent broken designs;
• plan for text expansion in languages like German, ensuring pop-ups can accommodate longer phrases without breaking the layout;
• use flexible font and spacing settings to maintain readability across all languages.

3. Design with cultural awareness

• icons, colors, and imagery can have different meanings across cultures — research local preferences before finalizing designs;
• avoid region-specific visuals if the pop-up is intended for a global audience to prevent misinterpretation.

Developing accessible on-site pop-ups

There are two ways to create accessible pop-ups:

Option 1. Building one from scratch

If you're developing a custom pop-up, you'll need to ensure it follows all best practices, including proper keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, contrast ratios, and responsive design.

Option 2. Using a pop-up builder

Many tools generate fully accessible pop-ups, handling technical aspects like font type and size, color contrast, and line spacing. However, content-related accessibility — such as ensuring cultural sensitivity and inclusive language — typically remains in your control. By combining an accessibility-focused tool with thoughtful content design, you can create pop-ups that meet both technical and user experience needs.

Tools to build accessible pop-ups

Color contrast:

1. Coblis (color blindness simulator): Simulates how users with different types of color blindness perceive images.
2. Accessible Colors: Evaluates text and design contrast (manual input required for images).
3. WebAIM: Evaluates contrast ratios for text and graphical elements.
4. Lea Verou's Contrast Checker: Allows manual input or color selection to test contrast with visual previews.
5. Stark: A plugin for Figma, Sketch, FigJam, and Adobe XD that provides real-time contrast analysis during design.

Pop-up builders

1. Claspo: A pop-up builder with accessibility features, allowing customization of layout, contrast, fonts, and multilingual support.
2. Popup Maker: A tool for creating customizable pop-ups with accessibility options, including keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility.

Challenges when using accessible pop-up builders

Even if your pop-up builder provides fully accessible pop-ups, they can become non-accessible after integration. Let us examine the ways to overcome these challenges.

1. Overlapping interactions

Challenge: Multiple elements, such as modals, floating bars, and launchers, can overlap, confusing users and disrupting navigation.

Solution: Limit active, interactive elements to one at a time and clearly indicate the currently active pop-up or modal. Some advanced pop-up builders automatically prevent overlapping by ensuring widgets display sequentially.

2. Cross-browser inconsistencies

Challenge: Pop-ups may behave differently across browsers due to variations in how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are rendered. This can lead to issues like misaligned elements, broken animations, or inaccessible interactions.

Solution: Test pop-ups on all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Some pop-up builders allow customization to fix layout and functionality issues without coding. For example, you can adjust padding, margins, or alignment to fix layout issues. Let's say, in Edge, the pop-up animations are jittery or fail to run. You can switch to simpler animations in the editor, as Edge might not fully support complex transitions or keyframes.

Wrapping up

Ensuring pop-ups are accessible is essential for creating an inclusive user experience. From proper keyboard navigation to cultural considerations, every element contributes to making pop-ups functional for all users.

Key takeaways:

• clarity and usability are key. Pop-ups should be easy to navigate, dismiss, and interact with, ensuring they don't disrupt the user experience;
• mobile and multilingual considerations matter. Pop-ups should be responsive, easy to interact with on touchscreens, and adaptable to different languages and cultural nuances;
• even accessible pop-up builders require testing. Integration issues, overlapping elements, and browser inconsistencies can still impact usability, so continuous testing is necessary.

By applying these best practices, you can ensure your pop-ups enhance the user experience rather than becoming a barrier.