Pressing just one key shouldn’t delete an email or submit a form by mistake.
Character Key Shortcuts ensures that single-character shortcuts don’t cause problems by allowing users to disable or customize them, making the site easier to control.
Who this impacts
- People using speech input: Single-character shortcuts can conflict with voice commands, causing unintended actions to occur.
- People with motor impairments: Accidental key presses are more common, so having more control over shortcuts reduces unintended actions.
- Screen reader users: Single-key shortcuts may interfere with screen reader commands, causing conflicts during web browsing.
- Everyone: Avoiding accidental key presses and being able to customize keyboard shortcuts benefit all users.
How to meet Character Key Shortcuts
- Disable single-key shortcuts: Provide an option for users to disable single-character keyboard shortcuts or require an additional key (like Ctrl or Alt) to trigger the action.
- Offer customization options: Let users customize or change key shortcuts to avoid conflicts with assistive technologies or personal preferences.
- Avoid critical actions on single keys: Don’t assign critical or irreversible actions (like deleting or submitting) to single-character shortcuts.
Practical example
Catbook’s messaging system originally used single-key shortcuts for functions like deleting or archiving messages. After implementing Character Key Shortcuts, users can now customize or disable these shortcuts to avoid accidental deletions or actions triggered by unintended key presses.