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Focus Management

Ensuring keyboard + assistive-tech users can see and follow which element currently has focus, and that focus moves predictably as the UI changes.

Focus management is the discipline of keeping the browser's focused element visible and predictable for keyboard + screen-reader users. WCAG 2.4.7 (Focus Visible, Level AA) requires every interactive element to show a visible focus indicator. WCAG 2.4.3 (Focus Order) requires the order to be logical.

Key practices: don't remove the default :focus outline without replacing it with a visible alternative; when opening a modal, move focus into it and trap focus within until close; when closing a modal, restore focus to the trigger; never set tabindex greater than 0 (it forces a non-DOM tab order that screen readers + keyboard users find disorienting).

Test with keyboard only: Tab through every interactive element on a page and verify each has a visible focus ring + the order matches reading order.

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