# Chat accessibility and keyboard navigation

Use keyboard controls and accessible labels to navigate the visitor pane, messages, forms and menus.

*Release 3.3 · admin, developer, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Themes** · **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey**

## What it is

The visitor pane includes keyboard navigation, named controls and information for screen readers. Forms identify required fields, menus expose their open or closed state, and the conversation can announce new content. The result depends on the pane, theme and any custom content in use.

## Who uses it and why

Visitors navigate and complete chat actions using a keyboard or assistive technology. People with the **Settings** role maintain readable colours and field labels. Developers check custom styling, website entry points and focus behaviour.

## Where to find it

These behaviours are part of the visitor pane. There is no separate switch to turn on keyboard support.

With the **Settings** role, use **Settings › Chat › Themes** for styling and **Focus Exclusion Selectors** under **Admin Options**. Use **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey** for **Show Field Labels**.

## How it works

- Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move between available controls. Keyboard use enables visible focus styling in the current pane.
- Many pane actions support Enter or Space. In the ordinary message box, Enter sends and Shift+Enter adds a line break.
- Escape closes the pane from its main interface. Some open notifications handle Escape themselves first.
- The chat menu identifies whether it is open or closed. Conversation messages include speaker information, and typing feedback has an accessible description.
- Pre-chat fields have accessible names and required-field information. Validation can move the visitor to the first missing field.

The current pane suppresses conversation announcements while closed and restores them when opened. An enabled inactivity warning provides an **Extend Session** action and supports the spacebar.

## Configure it

Keep focus indicators readable when changing theme colours or custom styling. Enable **Show Field Labels** when you want persistent visible labels above pre-chat inputs.

A developer with the **Settings** role can use **Focus Exclusion Selectors** to list website controls that should retain focus when proactive chat appears. Supply comma-separated CSS selectors. With no custom list, text inputs and text areas are excluded from proactive focus changes.

Check the complete visitor journey, including your own launcher, forms, menu, surveys and custom rich content.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Exclusion Selectors | Settings › Chat › Themes › Admin Options | website | Text inputs and text areas | Settings role | Identify website controls that proactive chat should leave focused when a notification appears. |
| Show Field Labels | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | Off | Settings role | Display pre-chat labels above fields rather than using inline placeholders. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Maintain theme styling, focus exclusions and pre-chat field labels. |

## Limits and good to know

- Individual keyboard and screen-reader features do not establish a conformance level for your website.
- Custom styling can hide focus indicators or reduce text contrast.
- Custom forms and rich content need their own checks.
- Focus behaviour differs between the full pane, notifications and other overlays.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): The visitor pane contains the keyboard-controlled interface.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): Themes affect focus visibility, readability and proactive focus exclusions.
- **Configured in** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Pre-chat survey settings control persistent field labels and the wording used to name form controls.

### Used by

- **Enhances** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): Keyboard controls manage pane and menu focus.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can I not see which control has focus?

Check the theme and custom styling for focus indicators and sufficient contrast. The current pane enables visible focus styling when it detects keyboard use.

### Why does a proactive notification interrupt typing in a website control?

Check **Focus Exclusion Selectors**. A custom control may need an explicit selector if it is not a normal text input or text area.

### Why does Escape close a notification before the pane?

Some notifications handle Escape within their own controls. Use Escape again from the main pane if you want to close it.

### Does this certify our chat as accessible?

No. Check your theme, custom content and website integration against your accessibility requirements using the assistive technologies your visitors use.