Should a Search Icon Inside a Search Bar Be Tabable?

Question

I'm developing a search bar. The input field and the icon are uniform in design, and thus a tabable icon feels superfluous because the default behaviour when pressing the enter key while the input field has focus is to submit the form. Hit tab>enter and you're achieving the exact same. However the icon is a clickable button, which I believe is a necessity. Should there be a 1:1 relationship between tabbing and clicking? Meaning if something is clickable, then it needs to be tabable?

Another challenge is the "X" left of the search icon, having the role of clearing the input. Because it has a behaviour different to the default one of the input field, I feel like it should be tabable. But at the moment it feels like I'm tabbing backwards when giving it focus. It also looks a little weird in its focused state.

Any input on this situation? Thanks.

Answer 1

Overview

You created this UI element to allow users to easily clear their search input criteria. In most cases users who use their keyboard to interact with the form will be choosing the search button over the clear button as this is the primary action. By using keyboard navigation your first concern would be your indexing order, should clear come before search or not at all?

Tabable?

In my opinion good design is inclusive, some users may be using assistive technology. Removing clear from the index removes this feature from these users. That being said, yes you should make the clear button indexable.

Clear before search or search before clear?

It has become commonplace that to complete the primary action in a form you press Enter. In most cases users will expect that the tabbing order does not change from common designs (top to bottom, left to right). The user should tab into the input field, tab to access clear, and finally tab to access search. At any time you can press enter to submit the search as long as your focus is in the form (input field).

Things to consider

• Information Architecture

Since "clear" is specific to this input field and not the form (even though the form only has one input field), it makes sense to put the clear button inside the input field (very common UI architecture Parent->child). However, the "Search" icon is your form's primary action. It makes more sense to put this outside of your input field. This will keep all forms following the same information architecture.

• Textual Call to action

If there see search results, does "clear" also remove the results or just the input in the form? The "Close", "Delete", "Stop" icon is holistic and is not representative of exactly what the action is you're trying to inform the users of. Consider removing this icon and just use text to tell users what this does. Perhaps use a tool tip, but don't forget to use alt="" attribute for those on screen readers.

The same consideration could apply to the search call to action. Right now you're using a label to inform us of the input fields action not what the input field is. However, you can achieve this by using "Search" as the action and not the label. This again will keep all forms following the same patterns and removes any ambiguity.

Since search is at the top of your site, users read top to bottom, left to right. At the time of seeing this input field, they may have little context of what it does. Does this search products, contact info, blogs, search engines? Try to let your call to actions be clear and concise, for example "search products". If there is not a lot of room, you can use placeholder text to convey this to the users.

Never make the user think. "Don't make me think"

Answer 2

As a user I would expect, and I assume you're apply tab as a verb when you say "tabbable," the search to be performed when I tapped or clicked the search icon or the control lost focus.

I would expect the clear button to require and physical tap to clear the input.

If you included the clear button in the tab list, it strikes me that it would become quite irritating and people would inadvertently delete their search term.

Answer 3

I think you should make a stance at this situation since both behaviors are valid. Ask yourself: Is this a behavior you'd like to encourage? Do you want your users to hit tab>enter, or simply hit enter? I myself in favor of simply hitting enter, and not allowing tab>enter. Advanced users who use the keyboard will most probably hit enter, mouse users will probably too, but in case they don't you have the search button.

Answer 4

I would suggest making the search icon to be replaced by the X when a user searches. If the user presses the X button, the input is deselected and the X is replaced with the search icon again.