The HTML aria-flowto attribute
The aria-flowto attribute suggests an alternative reading order to assistive technology by naming, via id, the element(s) to read next — overriding the default DOM order. It is niche and inconsistently supported.
Overview
The aria-flowto attribute suggests an alternative reading order by pointing to the next element(s).
It is a relationship property: it wires elements together for assistive technology by referencing their ids. The element(s) you point at must exist in the DOM with matching ids, and the relationship is exposed only to assistive technology — it has no visual effect, so you still style and lay out the page normally.
Like all ARIA, aria-flowto changes only the accessibility tree — what assistive technology perceives — never the element's behavior or appearance. The first rule of ARIA applies: if a native HTML element or attribute conveys this, use that instead, and only reach for ARIA when nothing native fits.
Syntax
<div id="a" aria-flowto="c"> … </div>Values
| Value |
|---|
| One or more element id values. |
Example
<p id="intro" aria-flowto="conclusion">Read me first…</p>
<p id="conclusion">…then jump here.</p>Best practices
- Follow the first rule of ARIA — use a native HTML element or attribute that conveys this where one exists, rather than adding ARIA.
- Reference real elements — every target
idmust exist in the DOM. - Remember the relationship is conveyed only to assistive technology and has no visual effect.
- Prefer native associations (a <label>'s
for, a <table>'s structure) where they exist.
Frequently asked questions
What does aria-flowto do?
How does this attribute reference another element?
id. The element(s) you point at must exist in the DOM with matching ids.