On each web page, the opening of a new window must not be triggered without a user action. Is this rule followed?
You load a page and, before you've even clicked anything, a window opens. For a screen reader user, this is a brutal disorientation: their navigation context has just changed without their request. Focus switches to the new window, the original page disappears from their auditory horizon. This is exactly what this criterion prohibits.
The rule is simple: no new window (pop-up, pop-under, new tab) should open automatically when the page loads. Opening a window is a radical change of context. A user who did not trigger it does not expect it — and often does not understand what just happened.
This criterion does not concern openings triggered by a click or explicit action. If someone clicks on a button "Open the video (new window)", it is compliant with criterion 13.2. The problem is the script that executes on page load: a window.open() called in an onload, or directly in the document body without prior interaction.
Un test to confirm that opening a new window is signaled
Absence of new window automatically opened on page load
- Open the page in your browser without clicking or interacting with any element.
- Observe whether a new window, new tab, pop-up or pop-under opens automatically.
- Also inspect the source code: search for
window.openin inline scripts and JS files loaded at startup. - If no new window opens without interaction: the test is validated.
- If a window opens automatically on page load: the test fails.
Examples
❌ Non-compliant : Advertising window opened automatically on page load
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>Home</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
window.open('https://example.com/promo', '_blank', 'width=500,height=400');
</script>
<h1>Welcome</h1>
</body>
</html>The script executes as soon as the document loads, before any user interaction. A screen reader user finds themselves in a new window without understanding why. A keyboard user may not know how to exit it if no accessible close mechanism is present.
✅ Compliant : Window opened only on explicit user action
<button
type="button"
onclick="window.open('help.html', '_blank', 'width=600,height=500')"
>
Open online help (new window)
</button>The window opens only when the user clicks the button. It is their action that triggers the event. The label specifies that a new window will open, which is a good practice even if it is no longer required since RGAA 4.
Tips and pitfalls
⚠️ Confusing the old RGAA 3 criterion 13.2 with the current one
In RGAA 3, criterion 13.2 required notifying the user when a link opened a new window. This requirement has disappeared in RGAA 4. The current criterion 13.2 only concerns automatic opening, without user action. Signaling the opening remains recommended as a best practice, but it is no longer a Level A conformance criterion.
⚠️ The onfocus event can also trigger unwanted opening
Test 13.2.1 covers page load, but the associated WCAG 3.2.1 criterion also covers context changes triggered on focus. A window.open() called in an onfocus or onblur handler violates the spirit of the criterion. During an audit, report this type of trigger even if the formal RGAA test does not explicitly cover it.
💡 Pop-unders are explicitly targeted
A pop-under opens behind the current window: the user does not see it immediately, but their system is affected. Test 13.2.1 explicitly mentions "pop-up or pop-under". Check scripts from third-party tracking or advertising that may trigger this behavior without the development team's knowledge.
⚠️ Modals within the same page are not new windows
A <dialog> or modal component that displays over content without opening a new browser tab is not covered by this criterion. Focus remains in the same document. If the modal opens automatically on page load (cookie banner, newsletter offer), other criteria may apply — notably 13.7 and 13.8 — but not 13.2.
Frequently asked questions
How does RGAA criterion 13.2 apply to links with target="_blank"?
No, if the user clicks on it. Criterion 13.2 only prohibits automatic opening without user action. A link with target="_blank" activated by a click is compliant with criterion 13.2. The best practice of signaling the opening in the link label is recommended, but it is no longer required for RGAA 4 compliance.
How do you test RGAA criterion 13.2 on new window opening during an audit?
Load each page in the sample without interacting and observe whether a window opens. Supplement with a source code inspection: search for window.open in inline scripts and JS files. Any call outside an onclick or onkeydown handler is suspect. DevTools (Console or Network tab) can also reveal these automatic openings.
In what cases do third-party advertising scripts fail RGAA criterion 13.2?
Yes. Programmatic advertising networks can trigger automatic pop-ups or pop-unders. Responsibility remains with the site owner, even if the script comes from a partner. During an audit, test with advertising scripts active and record any automatic opening as non-compliance with criterion 13.2.
How does RGAA criterion 13.2 apply to route transitions in a Single Page Application?
Yes. In a SPA, each "page" corresponds to an application state. Verify that no new window opens when navigating between views, during route transitions, or when returning to an already-visited view. Automatic triggering remains prohibited, regardless of the framework used.