A11y Keyboard Smokes

Check keyboard paths and focus states for real usability.

What it covers

Keyboard smokes verify a complete interaction path rather than the presence of tabindex alone. Focus order, visible focus, Enter or Space activation, arrow keys, Escape, focus traps, and restoration after overlays all matter.

Public building blocks

• tests/browser/fixtures/a11y-focus-keyboard-smoke.html is the browser-facing fixture.
• Component profiles name role, focus strategy, and supported keys.
• Surface and overlay checks track focus ownership across open and close.

Recommended workflow

Run the accessibility and hydration gate locally:

node scripts/run_xtend_tests.js a11y-hydration --json

Fix the earliest failed focus transition first. A mouse click does not prove keyboard access. For an overlay, Tab and Shift+Tab stay inside the active boundary, Escape performs the documented action, and close restores prior focus.

Next steps

• Performance
• Hydration Policies