Page refreshes or redirects on a timer

Why does it matter?

A page that reloads itself or moves on after a set number of seconds cuts people off mid-read. Slow readers, and screen reader users halfway down the page, lose their place with no way to stop the timer.

Who it affects: Screen reader users, who rely on real lists and paragraphs to hear how content is grouped and how many items there are.

What does Lumtera flag?

A <meta http-equiv="refresh"> tag with a delay of up to 20 hours, whether it reloads the page or sends visitors elsewhere, is an error; inside <noscript> it is for review. A delay of 0 with an address, an instant redirect, has no time limit and is a tip (a server redirect is better practice, WCAG 3.2.5, level AAA). Only the first valid refresh tag counts, as in browsers. These tags usually sit in the theme's <head>, which is checked when the whole page is checked.

Check ID meta-refresh — use it to filter the content report or with wp lumtera issues --rule.

How do I fix it in WordPress?

Remove the timed refresh. If the page has moved, set up a redirect on the server instead, for example with a redirect plugin or your host's settings, so visitors arrive at the new address straight away. If content needs to update, let visitors choose when, with a "Refresh" link or button. If a theme or plugin adds the tag, check its settings or ask its developer.

Example

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="30">

<a href="/live-scores/">Refresh the scores</a>

How do I check the fix?

1. Update the post. The issue disappears from the Lumtera Accessibility sidebar on the next check, and from the site report on the next scan.
2. With a screen reader, move to the list. It should announce "list, 3 items" (or similar) before the first item.