Note: The creation of this article on testing Timeouts was human-based, with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
Explanation of the success criteria
WCAG 2.2.6 Timeouts is a Level AAA conformance level Success Criterion. At its core, it is about respect, respect for users’ time, attention, and autonomy. This success criterion ensures people are notified whenever inactivity could lead to data loss, empowering them to make informed decisions and complete tasks without fear of losing progress.
This success criterion builds upon 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable, shifting the focus toward communication, alerting users before their session times out due to inactivity, rather than simply allowing them to adjust time limits.
While WCAG Level AAA is considered aspirational, going beyond the standard A and AA requirements, it represents the next frontier in inclusive design. Meeting this criterion isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about designing digital experiences that anticipate human needs and remove hidden sources of frustration.
Who does this benefit?
Unexpected timeouts can derail anyone, but they especially impact users who need more time to read, process, or act.
- People with cognitive or learning disabilities who may need extra time to read, understand, and respond to content or instructions.
- Individuals with memory limitations who may forget about inactivity timeouts or lose their place when forced to restart.
- Users with motor impairments who navigate more slowly or rely on assistive devices that make rapid input challenging.
- Screen reader users and others relying on assistive technology who require more time to explore and interact with content.
- People with attention-related or executive function disabilities who may need to pause and return to tasks without penalty.
- Anyone in demanding real-world contexts, such as users on mobile devices, working across multiple tasks, or dealing with poor connectivity.
Ultimately, Timeouts is about inclusion through communication. By warning users before sessions expire, we show empathy, reduce anxiety, and design for real-world behavior. Accessibility here becomes not just compliance, it’s good design practice rooted in respect and foresight.
Testing via Automated testing
Automated Testing brings speed and consistency. It efficiently scans for time-dependent elements, like inactivity timers or session expiration scripts, and flags potential risks. However, automation can only see what’s in the code. It often misses dynamic, server-side behaviors or contextual nuances, such as whether users are informed of time limits or offered a way to extend them.
Testing via Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI-Based Testing pushes the boundaries of what automation can do. By simulating realistic user interactions, AI can identify where timeouts are likely to occur and spot UI patterns that suggest session expiration, such as login popups or countdowns. Still, AI struggles to interpret intent, it can’t always distinguish between essential security timeouts and preventable usability barriers. Its accuracy depends heavily on quality data and contextual understanding.
Testing via Manual Testing
Manual Testing remains the most authentic measure of compliance. Human testers experience timeouts as real users would: waiting through inactivity, observing alerts, and verifying that extensions and data preservation truly work. While manual testing is more time-intensive, it captures the human perspective that automation and AI cannot replicate.
Which approach is best?
No single approach for testing Timeout is perfect. The most effective strategy is a hybrid approach, one that unites automation, AI, and human insight.
Automated testing provides the first sweep, identifying where timeouts may exist. AI then adds intelligence, modeling user behavior and flagging deeper risks. Finally, manual testing validates the end-to-end experience, ensuring users are warned in time, can easily extend sessions, and never lose their work.
This layered strategy transforms testing from a checkbox exercise into a holistic accessibility practice. It not only ensures compliance with WCAG 2.2.6 but demonstrates a genuine commitment to digital equity, where every user, regardless of pace or ability, can interact confidently and without unnecessary barriers.