ARIA Roles - version history

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WAI ARIA release history

WAI ARIA 1.0 became a W3C Recommendation in March 2014.
WAI ARIA 1.1 became a W3C Recommendation in December 2017.
WAI ARIA 1.2 became a W3C Recommendation 06 June 2023.
WAI ARIA 1.3 became a W3C First Public Working Draft 23 January 2024.

What are ARIA roles?

ARIA roles are HTML attributes that are added to elements using:

role="[role-type]"

ARIA roles can be used to add or change the semantic meaning of HTML elements in the accessibility tree. For example:

Is the element a menu?
Is the element a slider?
Is the element a spinner?
Is the element a progress bar?
Is the element a menu?

Key for tables below

Abstract roles

Abstract roles are used for the ontology. Authors MUST NOT use abstract roles in content.

Abstract roles	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`command`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`composite`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`input`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`landmark`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`range`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`roletype`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`section`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`sectionhead`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`select`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`structure`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`widget`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
`Window`	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract	Abstract

The following roles act as standalone user interface widgets or as part of larger, composite widgets.

Widget role	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`button`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`checkbox`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`gridcell`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`link`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`menuitem`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`menuitemcheckbox`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`menuitemradio`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`option`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`progressbar`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`radio`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`scrollbar`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`searchbox`	N/A	Widget - Added in ARIA 1.1	Widget	Widget
`separator`	N/A	Widget - Added in ARIA 1.1	Widget	Widget
`slider`	N/A	Widget - Added in ARIA 1.1	Widget	Widget
`spinbutton`	N/A	Widge - Added in ARIA 1.1	Widget	Widget
`switch`	N/A	Widge - Added in ARIA 1.1	Widget	Widget
`tab`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`tabpanel`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`textbox`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget
`treeitem`	Widget	Widget	Widget	Widget

Widget container roles

The following roles act as composite user interface widgets. These roles typically act as containers that manage other, contained widgets.

Widget container roles	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`combobox`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`grid`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`listbox`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`menu`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`menubar`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`radiogroup`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`tablist`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`tree`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container
`treegrid`	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container	Widget Container

Document roles

The following roles describe structures that organize content in a page. Document structures are not usually interactive.

ARIA role	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`application`	Landmark	Document - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`article`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`blockquote`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`caption`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`cell`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`code`	N/A	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.3
`columnheader`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`comment`	N/A	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.3
`definition`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`deletion`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`directory`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`document`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`emphasis`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`feed`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`figure`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`generic`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`group`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`heading`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`img`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`insertion`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`list`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`listitem`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`mark`	N/A	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.3
`math`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`meter`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`none`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`note`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`paragraph`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`presentation`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`row`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`rowgroup`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`rowheader`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`separator`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`strong`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`subscript`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`suggestion`	N/A	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.3
`superscript`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`table`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`term`	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document
`time`	N/A	N/A	Document - Added in ARIA 1.2	Document
`toolbar`	Document	Document	Document	Document
`tooltip`	Widget	Document - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Document	Document

Landmark roles

The following roles are regions of the page intended as navigational landmarks. All of these roles inherit from the landmark base type and all are imported from the Role Attribute [role-attribute].

ARIA role	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`banner`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`complementary`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`contentinfo`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`form`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`main`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`navigation`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`region`	Document	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark
`search`	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark	Landmark

Live region roles

The following roles are live regions and may be modified by live region attributes.

Live region roles	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`alert`	Widget	Live Region - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Live Region	Live Region
`log`	Widget	Live Region - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Live Region	Live Region
`marquee`	Widget	Live Region - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Live Region	Live Region
`status`	Widget	Live Region - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Live Region	Live Region
`timer`	Widget	Live Region - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Live Region	Live Region

Window roles

The following roles act as windows within the browser or application.

Window roles	ARIA 1.0	ARIA 1.1	ARIA 1.2	ARIA 1.3
`alertdialog`	Widget	Window - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Window	Window
`dialog`	Widget	Window - Changed in ARIA 1.1	Window	Window