Sensory characteristics
Silktide prompts you to verify that instructions do not identify what to click or press only by how it looks - its color, shape, size, or position on screen. Instructions like "click the green button" assume the reader can see the page.
This is a : automation cannot reliably judge every language and phrasing, so Silktide raises the prompt on each page and a person confirms it.
<!-- Problem: the target is identified only by color -->
<p>To continue, click the green button.</p>
<!-- Fixed: the target is named, and may still mention the color -->
<p>To continue, click the green "Submit" button.</p>
Why this matters
Instructions that rely on appearance exclude everyone who doesn't experience the page visually. A blind visitor using a cannot find "the round icon"; a colorblind visitor may not be able to tell which button is the green one; and on a small screen, "the button on the right" may have moved somewhere else entirely. Naming the target - "the Submit button" - works for everyone, because the name is announced, searchable, and independent of layout.
What to check
- Read the operating instructions on the page (forms, wizards, help text, empty states).
- Confirm each instruction that points at a control also names it - by its visible text, accessible name, or another non-sensory cue.
- Sensory words (green, round, on the right) are fine alongside a name; they fail only when they are the sole cue.
- Also watch for sound-only instructions ("when you hear the chime…").
If every instruction names its target (or the page has none), the finding.
How to fix it
Rewrite each instruction to include the target's name or text label. You can keep the sensory description as an extra cue - "click the green Submit button" is fine, because the name is there too.
How Silktide tests this
Silktide cannot reliably detect sensory-only instructions automatically - English phrase matching invents false positives and misses other languages - so this check raises one review prompt per page describing what to verify.