Note: The creation of this article on testing Interruptions was human-based, with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
Explanation of the success criteria
WCAG 2.2.4 Interruptions is a Level AAA conformance level Success Criterion. It ensures that users are allowed to turn off updates from the author/server except in emergencies. It’s about more than preventing annoyance; it’s about respecting the user’s right to focus, engage, and complete tasks without unnecessary disruption. This criterion requires that users be given control over system updates or alerts from the author or server, except in true emergencies. Those exceptions are rare and vital, civil emergency warnings, security alerts, or critical notifications like potential data loss or connection failure.
Imagine this in action: an application suddenly pauses your task to deliver an ad or a “new feature” update. For many users, that’s a distraction. But for others, especially those using assistive technologies or with attention-related disabilities, it can break the entire experience. WCAG 2.2.4 seeks to eliminate that barrier by ensuring interruptions are always under the user’s control.
Note that this Success Criterion is at a conformance level of AAA. This means that this Success Criterion is generally considered aspirational, going beyond the standard A & AA conformance levels. It addresses more specific accessibility needs and is not mandatory for all websites or content. However, achieving Level AAA can provide additional benefits in terms of inclusivity.
Who does this benefit?
- Individuals with attention deficit disorders can focus on content without distraction.
- Individuals with low vision or who use screen readers will not have content updated while they are viewing it (which can lead to discontinuity and misunderstanding if they start reading in one topic and finish in another).
Testing via Automated testing
Automated testing is the starting line. It efficiently detects technical triggers that may cause interruptions, auto-refresh scripts, pop-ups, modals, or timed events. Automation excels at scale, surfacing patterns across large platforms.
But context is its weakness. Automation can’t distinguish between a legitimate system alert and a marketing pop-up, nor can it judge whether users can meaningfully control the experience.
Testing via Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI-based testing takes this a step further. Through behavioral analysis and machine learning, AI can predict how different users might experience interruptions. It can flag friction points in the user journey, like chatbots that hijack focus or alerts that appear mid-form entry.
However, AI’s accuracy depends heavily on data and interpretation. It still can’t truly understand intent, the line between necessary and unnecessary disruption remains a human judgment.
Testing via Manual Testing
That’s where manual testing becomes essential. Human testers bring empathy, experience, and perspective, qualities no algorithm can replicate. They can verify whether interruptions are justified, whether users can easily pause or defer them, and whether assistive technologies communicate those options effectively.
While time-intensive, manual testing is the most reliable measure of how real users experience interruptions.
Which approach is best?
No single approach for testing Interruptions is perfect. The most effective strategy is a hybrid approach that blends all three methods.
Automated testing casts a wide net, efficiently uncovering potential problem areas. AI analysis adds intelligence, assessing behavioral impact and prioritizing issues by potential user disruption. Then, manual testing delivers the final validation, ensuring that solutions work not just in theory but in practice, across devices, abilities, and assistive technologies.
This layered approach transforms testing from a checklist exercise into a true user experience safeguard. Automation ensures coverage. AI brings context. Human evaluation delivers empathy and accuracy. Together, they create a scalable, meaningful path toward true accessibility excellence, one where interruptions no longer interrupt inclusion.