# Form labels

DevFeed: [Form labels](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/form-labels-89058.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://specification.website/spec/accessibility/form-labels/>)

Author: Joost de Valk

Published: 2026-05-29T10:57:27Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [The Website Specification](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/the-website-specification.md>)

Topics: [User interface design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ui-design.md>), [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/aria.md>), [accessible required form field](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/accessible-required-form-field.md>)

Tags: [accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/accessibility.md>), [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/aria.md>), [form](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/form.md>), [required](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/required.md>), [voice-control](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/voice-control.md>), [wcag](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/wcag.md>)

## AI overview

Every form control needs an accessible name associated with it in the accessibility tree. Prefer a visible HTML label linked to the control; placeholders are not labels. The tutorial also covers ARIA alternatives, labels for checkboxes and radio buttons, required-field instructions, common mistakes, and ways to verify accessible names.

## Source excerpt

Every form control needs a programmatically associated label. A placeholder is not a label, and an unlabelled input is unusable for screen-reader and voice-control users.