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UX Atlas
TermCraft conventionFoundational

Focus Trap

Focus gets stuck inside one part of the page.

Definition

Confinement of keyboard focus within a region, which is correct for modal dialogs and a defect anywhere else.

Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.

In plain language

Focus gets stuck inside one part of the page.

Example

A modal should trap focus and release it on Escape. A carousel that traps focus is broken.

Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.

Deeper reading

The full entry behind this definition.

Nearby in the Atlas

Adjacent territory, found through shared tags rather than a stated link.