Capitalization and Punctuation in Accessible Names
Capitalization and Punctuation in Accessible Names records a distinct W3C-supported interface-writing task while keeping implementation mechanics outside the writing guidance.
Start ordinary accessible names with a capital letter and generally omit a final period unless punctuation is genuinely part of the content.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Use punctuation when it is semantically part of the content, such as a proper name or expression; this guidance is for ordinary interface labels.
Further guidance
Content
Use normal label-style capitalization and avoid sentence-ending punctuation when the name is a short label rather than prose.
Purpose
Consistent label-like formatting keeps names compact and avoids punctuation that can alter or lengthen speech output unnecessarily.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Providing Accessible Names and Descriptions — W3C WAI ARIA APG (opens in a new tab)W3C Web Accessibility Initiative · W3C WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices guidance for descriptive accessible names, visible labels, and button/control naming.