Navigation element order is inconsistent

Rule

Navigation patterns that are repeated on web pages MUST be presented in the same relative order each time they appear and MUST NOT change order when navigating through the site.

Background

When navigation elements that are repeated across multiple pages - such as a navigation menu, search function, or table of contents - are not presented in the same relative order and location on each page, some people may have a hard time locating that information or functionality. This especially impacts people who are blind, people with low vision, and people with cognitive disabilities. Ensuring that navigation components occur in the same order on each page of a site helps users predict where they can find things on each page and more quickly use or skip repeated navigation content.

How to Fix

Fix this issue by ensuring that navigation patterns that are repeated across pages are presented in the same relative order each time they appear throughout the site.