2.4.5 Multiple Ways

1. What is the goal of this criterion?

Do you know that feeling when you’re in an unfamiliar city and only one confusing street leads to where you want to go? For many people, navigating websites feels exactly the same – frustrating and time-consuming.

People have different preferences and abilities when exploring content. Some like to skim menus, others prefer a search function, and others again want a structured overview. People with disabilities often rely on particular ways of finding things.

The goal of Success Criterion 2.4.5 is therefore clear: there should be at least two different ways to find every page on a website. That way, everyone can choose the route that best suits their needs.

2. What exactly does it require?

Within a related set of pages, there must be more than one way to find a particular page.

Typical ways include:

• Search – a search field or a link to a search page
• Site map – a human-readable overview page listing all pages on the site
• Table of contents – a structured overview of the content
• Navigation – a menu that gets you to the pages
• List of links – for example a home page that links to all other pages
• Links to related pages – links to content on related topics

Breadcrumbs mainly show where you currently are. They help with orientation (see Location), but on their own they aren’t an additional way to reach all pages.

Important exception: if a page is the result of, or a step in, a process (for example a step in checkout or the confirmation page after submitting a form), it doesn’t need to be reachable in multiple ways. Here, a fixed sequence is intended.

3. Why does it matter for accessibility?

Imagine you’re blind and use a screen reader. Working your way through a complex main menu with dozens of sub-items can be frustratingly slow – a search function would be far more efficient. Or you have a cognitive disability and find a clear site map easier to follow than nested dropdown menus.

Multiple ways improve accessibility because they:

• give blind people and people with low vision alternatives to menu navigation,
• let people with cognitive disabilities choose between different ways of structuring content,
• offer people with motor impairments suitable options depending on the technology they use – such as search instead of many key presses,
• help everyone find content faster and more intuitively.

And not least: they make websites more robust and user-friendly – including for anyone who just wants to find something specific quickly or get an overview.

4. How to meet the criterion

The good news: you don’t have to implement every possible way – two are enough. Here are some proven combinations and tips:

For small websites:

• Main navigation + a simple site map page
• Main navigation + site search

For larger websites:

• Main navigation + search (the classic)
• Category navigation + site map or A–Z index
• Topic pages with links to related content + search

Technical implementation:

• Use meaningful link text in all navigation elements.
• Place navigation aids consistently in the same places (see Consistent Navigation).
• Clearly mark the current page in the navigation, for example with aria-current="page".
• Regularly check that all links work and lead to the right destinations.

Tools and good practice:

• Many CMSs can generate a site map page for visitors automatically.
• Watch out: an XML sitemap for search engines (like those created by SEO plugins) doesn’t count – it’s meant for machines, not people.
• For search, many CMSs offer ready-made solutions, or you can build your own with a search service.
• Make sure the search field and search results are accessible too.

5. Why this criterion matters for businesses

Multiple ways aren’t just an accessibility requirement – they make any website better.

1. A wider audience

Different routes appeal to different people. Some prefer search, others an overview. With several options you reach everyone – and exclude no one.

2. Well linked means well found

Accessibility isn’t a direct ranking factor. But good internal linking and a clear structure also help search engines discover all your content – an indirect benefit.

3. Getting there faster

People who find what they’re looking for faster are more likely to stay and to buy. Every dead end in your navigation, on the other hand, is an opportunity to leave.

And finally: 2.4.5 is a Level AA criterion and therefore part of WCAG 2.1 AA, which the harmonised standard EN 301 549 references. Under the European Accessibility Act (EAA), many consumer services such as online shops must meet these requirements; in Germany, the EAA is implemented by the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), which has applied since 28 June 2025. This is general information, not legal advice.

6. The success criterion in the W3C’s words

Success Criterion 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)

More than one way is available to locate a web page within a set of web pages except where the web page is the result of, or a step in, a process.

In short: every page on a website must be findable in more than one way – unless it’s the result of, or a step in, a process.