Level AAAWCAG 2.1

2.2.6 Timeouts

Users are warned of the duration of any user inactivity that could cause data loss, unless the data is preserved for more than 20 hours when the user does not take action.

Last reviewed: September 9, 2026

Understanding 2.2.6

Users may be unaware that a process has an inactivity timeout that could cause them to lose entered data, and cognitive or motor disabilities can make it easy to exceed such a limit without realizing it. This criterion requires that users be warned upfront about how long they may be inactive before data could be lost, unless the data is retained for more than 20 hours of inactivity, giving users a fair chance to avoid losing their work.

How to Meet It

At the start of a process, such as on a form page or in an initial notice, disclose how long a user may remain inactive before their data could be lost, for example: 'This form will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity.' If the underlying data is instead preserved for more than 20 hours of inactivity, no warning is required.

Code Examples

INCORRECT

<!-- No indication anywhere that the form times out after 15 minutes of inactivity -->
<form id="application-form">
  ...
</form>

CORRECT

<form id="application-form">
  <p role="note">This application will time out after 15 minutes of inactivity, and any unsaved entries will be lost.</p>
  ...
</form>

Frequently Asked Questions

How is 2.2.6 different from 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable?

2.2.1 (Level A) requires that time limits be adjustable, extendable, or removable. 2.2.6 (Level AAA) is narrower: it simply requires that users be told upfront how long they have before inactivity could cause data loss, independent of whether that limit is itself adjustable.

Do we need to warn about a shopping cart that clears after 24 hours of inactivity?

No. The exception applies once data is preserved for more than 20 hours of user inactivity. A 24-hour retention period exceeds that threshold, so no warning is required in that case.

Related Success Criteria

2.2.1 Timing Adjustable 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide 2.2.3 No Timing 2.2.4 Interruptions

Quick Facts

Criterion2.2.6
LevelAAA
IntroducedWCAG 2.1

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