Towards A Cooler Focus Caret

This article explores the often-overlooked focus caret—that dotted outline indicating an element's focus—and how to enhance its appearance and accessibility using CSS. While some developers attempt to hide it, this article advocates for improving its visibility.

The focus caret, crucial for keyboard navigation, is typically a simple dotted outline:

<code>a:focus {
    outline: 1px dotted;
}</code>

However, we can significantly improve its appearance and usability with outline-offset and -moz-outline-radius:

<code>a:focus {
    outline: 1px dotted;
    outline-offset: 2px;
    -moz-outline-radius: 5px;
}</code>

outline-offset adds space between the element and its outline, while -moz-outline-radius (Firefox-specific) creates rounded corners. The article demonstrates various styling approaches:

• Default: 5px radius, 2px offset.
• Small Text: 1px offset.
• Elements with Borders: 0px offset for a tight fit. This example also shows selective rounding of corners to match existing element styling.

While not fully cross-browser compatible (IE support is limited), this approach represents progressive enhancement, leaving the default outline intact for browsers lacking support. The article concludes that accessibility features needn't be visually dull; thoughtful design can make them both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Thumbnail credit: ihtatho

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Focus Caret

This section answers common questions about focus carets, covering their importance, differences from mouse cursors, customization options using CSS (including the outline property and the Mozilla-specific -moz-outline-radius), and troubleshooting visibility issues. It also clarifies that while technically possible, disabling the focus caret is strongly discouraged due to its negative impact on accessibility.

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