Tag: Accordion best practices

7 essential best practices for creating user-friendly accordions

Accordions can make your WordPress site feel clean, tidy, and professional—when done right. But if you fumble the basics, your users could end up frustrated or, worse, leave your site altogether. Let’s talk about seven no-nonsense practices to create accordions that everyone, and I mean everyone, can use with ease.

1. Keep labels clear and to the point

Each accordion header needs a label that tells the user exactly what’s inside. Skip the cryptic “More” or “Click here” nonsense. Instead, go for something direct like “Shipping Information” or “Frequently Asked Questions.” Clarity equals less confusion, which equals happy users.

2. Space it out

Nobody wants to squint at tightly packed content. Give each accordion header and its content plenty of breathing room. Spacing not only looks better but also reduces accidental clicks and makes the design more touch-friendly for mobile users.

3. Start with a sensible default state

Decide which sections, if any, should be open when the page loads. If users need quick access to critical info, have that section expanded by default. Otherwise, keep everything closed to avoid overwhelming them. The point is to make it intuitive, not guesswork.

4. Make it keyboard-friendly

Your accordion should be fully operable with a keyboard. Test these basics:

• Tab key: Moves focus to each accordion header.
• Enter or Space: Toggles open and close states.
• Arrow keys: If you want to be fancy, let users move between headers without tabbing.

If it’s not working, it’s not user-friendly.

5. Use visible focus indicators

When someone’s tabbing through your accordions, they need to know where they are. Add a clear focus style—an outline, a border, or a colour change. It’s simple to do and makes a world of difference for accessibility.

6. Get your colours and contrast right

Your accordion text and backgrounds need to play nicely together. Check your contrast ratio (tools like WebAIM’s contrast checker are great for this) to ensure everything’s easy to read. Aim for at least 4.5:1 for small text and 3:1 for large text.

7. Don’t surprise people

No auto-expanding, no animations that run wild—keep it predictable. Users want control over what opens and closes. If you must include animations, keep them subtle and short, like under 300ms, to avoid frustrating delays.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are WordPress Social Media Icons?

Social media icons are visual links to your social media profiles that you can add to your WordPress website. Learn more about WordPress Social Media Icons.

2. What are WordPress Block Themes?

WordPress Block Themes are themes designed for the Full Site Editing (FSE) experience, allowing you to design every part of your site using blocks. Discover more about WordPress Block Themes.

3. How can I learn to use WordPress Block Themes?

If you’re new to WordPress Block Themes, tutorials can help you understand how to create and customize your website. Explore the WordPress Block Theme Tutorial.

4. How do WordPress Block Themes impact SEO?

WordPress Block Themes can enhance SEO by improving site speed, accessibility, and structure, contributing to better rankings on search engines. Learn how WordPress Block Themes improve SEO.

5. What are the best icons for WordPress?

Icons can enhance your website’s design and usability. MaxiBlocks offers a variety of high-quality icons to elevate your WordPress site. Check out the Icons for WordPress.

6. What are WordPress Block Templates?

Block Templates are pre-designed layouts made with WordPress blocks that simplify building pages and posts. Explore WordPress Block Templates.

7. What is the WordPress Icon Library?

The WordPress Icon Library is a collection of icons you can use to customize your site’s design. Browse the WordPress Icon Library.

8. How can WordPress Website Design improve my site?

WordPress Website Design focuses on creating visually appealing and functional websites, often using themes, blocks, and templates. Learn about WordPress Website Design.

9. Is there an alternative better than Elementor?

If you’re looking for a WordPress page builder that’s faster, more flexible, and easier to use, consider MaxiBlocks. Find out why it’s better than Elementor.

10. What are WordPress Website Builders?

WordPress Website Builders are tools that allow you to design your website visually without needing to code. Discover more about WordPress Website Builders.