Writing & StyleStyle guide

Writing Accessible Progressbar Value Text

Writing Accessible Progressbar Value Text records a distinct W3C-supported interface-content task while keeping implementation mechanics outside the writing guidance.

Quick answer

Use user-friendly progressbar value text only when the numeric progress value by itself is not sufficiently meaningful.

Key details

Core IssueW3C APG says aria-valuetext is used when a range widget’s numeric aria-valuenow is not sufficiently meaningful, and progressbar is one of the range roles covered by that guidance.
Registerweb accessibility and interface content

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

This page covers progressbar value wording; determining whether progress is determinate, setting ranges, and updating ARIA properties remain implementation concerns.

Further guidance

Content

Write progress value text as a human-readable interpretation of the current state when the number or percentage alone would not convey enough meaning.

Purpose

Meaningful value text gives assistive-technology users the context the raw numeric progress value cannot provide by itself.

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.

  1. Communicating Value and Limits for Range Widgets — WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (opens in a new tab)World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) · W3C APG guidance for user-friendly aria-valuetext across range widgets, including progress bars when a numeric value is not sufficiently meaningful.

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