5

In HTML the title attribute usually displays a little popup conveying information about the element. In most—if not all—browsers the popup doesn't appear immediately but after few seconds.

Why was it decided that there should be a delay and how long that delay should be?

What benefits are there to the user with there being a delay and the tooltip not appearing immediately after hover?

11
  • 1
    @Majed the question is why not how. if it was how then it could go on stackoverflow. this is definitely a ux question imo
    – Dave Haigh
    Aug 7, 2014 at 15:42
  • 1
    @BennySkogberg I want to know why there's a delay and I'm sure it's not because of a programming issue but it's an UX decision. I want to know the reason behind that decision. Aug 7, 2014 at 15:46
  • 1
    the length of delay after hovering over an element with a title attribute was decided by a UX designer not a programmer. this is ux.
    – Dave Haigh
    Aug 7, 2014 at 15:51
  • 5
    Very closely related to (if not a duplicate) of How long should the delay be before a tooltip pops up?
    – Matt Obee
    Aug 7, 2014 at 15:53
  • 1
    Can I make it have no delay on my website? May 14, 2021 at 7:21

1 Answer 1

18

Without a delay just moving your mouse around would accidentally make popups appear and flicker across your screen.

That'd draw users' attention away from what they're doing if they didn't expect it, and probably annoy them because flickering stuff provides no value to them: it's unlikely they wanted to read the title and unlikely they even have the time to do it.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.