Elements use positive tabindex values — the fix
One or more elements use a positive tabindex value (tabindex > 0), which overrides the natural DOM tab order. This creates an unpredictable and confusing keyboard navigation experience.
Where this fits: accessibility in SEO
Accessibility overlaps heavily with SEO because both depend on machine-readable structure: alt text, heading hierarchy, labels, contrast. Screen readers and search crawlers consume the same signals. Accessible sites rank better not by special treatment but because the same fixes — descriptive alt attributes, proper headings, real link text — are exactly what search engines parse for meaning. It is also, in a growing number of jurisdictions, the law.
Why elements use positive tabindex values hurts your rankings
Positive tabindex values force elements to be focused before all other elements, regardless of their position in the DOM. This creates a confusing tab order where focus jumps around the page unpredictably. Screen reader users and keyboard-only users rely on logical tab order to navigate efficiently.
This is a low-severity issue: a polish item. Fix it in batches during scheduled maintenance; the win is cumulative quality, not a step change.
How to fix it
Remove positive tabindex values and rely on DOM order for tab sequence. Use tabindex='0' to make non-interactive elements focusable in their natural order, or tabindex='-1' to make elements programmatically focusable but not in the tab order. Restructure the DOM if the natural order is not correct.
<!-- Before (bad) -->
<button tabindex="3">Third</button>
<button tabindex="1">First</button>
<button tabindex="2">Second</button>
<!-- After (good - natural DOM order) -->
<button>First</button>
<button>Second</button>
<button>Third</button>Accessibility best practices
- Give every informative image an alt attribute that describes its content; decorative images get alt="".
- Maintain heading hierarchy — never skip levels for styling reasons.
- Make link text meaningful out of context; screen readers list links in isolation.
- Keep text contrast at WCAG AA (4.5:1) minimum.
- Make everything keyboard-operable with a visible focus state.
The full library: SEO best practices, by category.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Elements use positive tabindex values" mean?
One or more elements use a positive tabindex value (tabindex > 0), which overrides the natural DOM tab order. This creates an unpredictable and confusing keyboard navigation experience.
Why does elements use positive tabindex values matter for SEO?
Positive tabindex values force elements to be focused before all other elements, regardless of their position in the DOM. This creates a confusing tab order where focus jumps around the page unpredictably. Screen reader users and keyboard-only users rely on logical tab order to navigate efficiently.
How do I fix elements use positive tabindex values?
Remove positive tabindex values and rely on DOM order for tab sequence. Use tabindex='0' to make non-interactive elements focusable in their natural order, or tabindex='-1' to make elements programmatically focusable but not in the tab order. Restructure the DOM if the natural order is not correct.
How serious is this issue?
This is a low-severity issue: a polish item. Fix it in batches during scheduled maintenance; the win is cumulative quality, not a step change. It belongs to the accessibility family of checks.
How do I find every page affected by this on my site?
Run a free Dr Urls audit: it crawls your site, detects elements use positive tabindex values on every affected page, shows example URLs, and generates a ready-to-use fix task. Re-scan after fixing to verify the issue is gone.
Does your site have this issue?
A free Dr Urls audit crawls your site, finds every page affected by elements use positive tabindex values, and hands you a ready-made fix task.
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