Modal Dialog Design Best Practices
Modal dialog patterns, focus management, escape key handling, backdrop design, and accessibility based on WCAG 2.2, WAI-ARIA APG, Material Design 3, and Nielsen Norman Group research.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Read time
- 1 min read
- Version
- v1.0.0
- Confidence
- established
- Last updated
Quick Reference
Use native <dialog> with showModal() for automatic focus trap and Escape key. Set aria-labelledby to dialog title. Return focus to trigger element on close. Use inert attribute on background content. Backdrop should be semi-transparent (rgba(0,0,0,0.5)). Respect prefers-reduced-motion for animations.
Use When
- Creating modal dialog components
- Implementing confirmation dialogs
- Building alert or warning modals
- Designing form overlays
- Making dialogs accessible
Skip When
- Creating non-modal dialogs (sidebars, popovers)
- Building toast notifications
- Implementing dropdown menus
Modal Dialog Design Best Practices
Modal dialog patterns, focus management, escape key handling, backdrop design, and accessibility based on WCAG 2.2, WAI-ARIA APG, Material Design 3, and Nielsen Norman Group research.