How to fix tabindex on BigCommerce

Steps for BigCommerce

1. In your BigCommerce control panel, go to Storefront → Themes → click Customize next to your active theme, then open the theme's Edit Theme Files option (available in the Advanced section of the Customize panel, or via the Stencil CLI for developer access).
2. Search your template files (templates/layout/, templates/components/, templates/pages/) for 'tabindex'.
3. Edit the relevant .html template files and change any tabindex value greater than 0 to '0', or remove it from standard interactive elements.
4. If using the Cornerstone theme or a derivative, also check assets/js/ for any JavaScript that dynamically sets tabindex via setAttribute.
5. Push your changes via the Stencil CLI ('stencil push') or save directly in the control panel file editor.
6. Clear the CDN cache under Server Settings → Cache Settings if available.

What is tabindex?

The `tabindex` attribute controls the order in which keyboard users move through interactive elements on a page using the Tab key. A value of `tabindex="0"` means an element joins the natural tab order based on where it appears in the HTML. A value of `tabindex="-1"` removes the element from the tab order but still allows it to receive focus via JavaScript. A positive value — like `tabindex="1"`, `tabindex="5"`, or any number above zero — forces a custom tab order that almost always creates a confusing, broken experience for keyboard and screen-reader users. This accessibility rule flags any element with a tabindex value greater than 0.

Positive tabindex values hijack the natural reading and navigation order, causing keyboard-only users and screen-reader users to jump around the page unpredictably — often skipping important links, buttons, or form fields entirely, or hitting them in an illogical sequence. This directly violates WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order) and can expose your store to legal accessibility complaints or lawsuits, which are increasingly common in e-commerce. Beyond legal risk, a broken keyboard experience means customers who rely on keyboard navigation (including many users with motor disabilities) may be unable to complete checkout, contact forms, or product searches — directly costing you conversions and revenue. Fixing this is also a signal of overall code quality that can indirectly support SEO through improved Core Web Vitals and reduced bounce rates from frustrated users.

See the complete Tabindex guide for every platform and the full background.