Focus ring contrast
Check focus ring contrast against adjacent colors.
Test a configurable focus ring against both adjacent colors, preview it on real components, and export a keyboard-accessibility handoff with precise fixes.
Free color utility
Focus Rings
Inputs update live, exports are copy-ready, and the color math stays deterministic.
Quick start
Starter presets
Start with a realistic setup, then adjust any input and watch the result update.
Valid input example: #000000 ring against #FBFAF5 page and #FFFFFF component
If input is invalid: Invalid or incomplete color values are identified at the field, announced, and explained in the result area so they can be corrected without guesswork.
Choose a preset or edit the controls directly.
Focus state
Audit a visible focus indicator
Instructions
- Enter the focus ring color, page background color, and component fill color you want to test.
- Set ring width, offset, style, and preview component so the audit matches the real UI state.
- Review ring-versus-page and ring-versus-component checks against the 3:1 UI/non-text target.
- Copy CSS, JSON, Markdown, token-style output, or a focus-state handoff summary for QA and design-system documentation.
Hue Codex supports a 3:1 adjacent-color review. It does not certify WCAG 2.2 Focus Appearance conformance; verify indicator size and area, state change, visibility, obstruction, and every focusable component.
Checks
Adjacent-color contrast
Methodology and guides
How this tool calculates and connects.
Review the formulas, assumptions, edge cases, validation checks, caveats, and related color guidance behind Focus Rings.
Methodology pages
Related guides
How it fits
From ring color to visible keyboard focus.
Check a proposed focus indicator against both adjacent colors, preview it on real component shapes, and document a visible keyboard state.
Check both boundaries
Measure the ring against the page background and component fill so one strong edge does not hide a weak adjacent edge.
Preview the component state
Review configurable ring width, offset, radius, and component examples alongside the 3:1 non-text contrast target.
Free sharing
Focus-ring checks can be bookmarked and shared without an account, making results easy to revisit.
Quick overview
Hue Codex Focus Ring Contrast Tool is a free browser-based tool that checks a focus ring color against both the page background and component fill. Each control accepts alpha-capable HEX, RGB, HSL, HWB, Lab/LCH, OKLab/OKLCH, supported color() values, fixed color names, and transparent. Translucent layers are composited in their rendered order before ring-versus-page and ring-versus-component contrast ratios are checked against the 3:1 UI screening target.
- Use the focus ring contrast tool to test whether a keyboard focus indicator stands out from adjacent colors.
- The ring is checked against both the page background and the component fill because a visible outline often touches both.
- The tool reports pass or fail against a 3:1 UI contrast target for each adjacent color.
- The Suggest control looks for a ring color that can pass both page and component edges, then the result still needs review in the real component.
- A visible focus state also needs enough size, shape, placement, and consistency beyond color contrast alone.
What the Hue Codex focus ring contrast tool does
The Hue Codex focus ring contrast tool checks a proposed focus ring color against the two colors it commonly touches: the page background around the component and the component fill inside the outline.
The preview shows focused buttons, inputs, card actions, and links using your page, component, and ring colors. The result panel reports ring versus page contrast, ring versus component contrast, the weakest edge, ring geometry, and a 3:1 UI contrast target so you can document the focus state clearly.
Focus ring contrast is the visual difference between a focus indicator and the adjacent colors around it, such as the page background and the focused component surface.
The 3:1 UI contrast target
Hue Codex uses 3:1 as an adjacent-color screening target for focus rings and treats each adjacent color separately: a ring can meet the target against the page but miss it against the component, or the other way around. This color check does not by itself establish WCAG 2.2 Focus Appearance conformance because the tool does not calculate every indicator-area, state-change, obstruction, or component requirement.
| Check | What it compares | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ring vs page | Focus ring color against the surrounding page background. | Shows whether the outside edge of the ring is visible around the component. |
| Ring vs component | Focus ring color against the component fill. | Shows whether the inside edge of the ring stands apart from the focused control. |
| Target | 3:1 UI contrast for both adjacent color comparisons. | Provides an adjacent-color screening threshold; geometry and full focus behavior still require component review. |
Why adjacent colors matter
A focus ring is usually drawn at the boundary between a component and its surroundings. If the ring only contrasts with one side, part of the indicator can disappear, especially on filled buttons, cards, inputs, dark surfaces, or complex layouts.
That is why the tool asks for both page and component colors. The ring should remain visible at both edges when the user moves through the interface with a keyboard. Width, offset, and focus style affect whether the result remains visible beyond the color math.
- Use the page color for the surface outside the focused component.
- Use the component color for the fill or background inside the focused control.
- Check both ratios and the weakest edge before promoting the ring color to a reusable role.
- If one side fails, adjust the ring color, ring thickness, offset, component fill, or surrounding surface.
- Copy CSS or token-style output only after the color and geometry match the component you intend to ship.
Best uses for focus ring contrast checks
Focus ring contrast checks are most useful when designing reusable component states. A single ring color may appear on buttons, links, inputs, cards, menu items, tabs, and controls with different fills.
Design-system focus roles
Test a proposed focus color before applying it across components and themes.
Button and input states
Check whether the ring is visible on filled controls, outlined controls, and plain text controls.
Dark and light themes
Compare the same ring color against different page and component colors before reusing it across themes.
Accessibility QA
Copy the report into keyboard navigation reviews, bug tickets, design notes, or release QA documentation.
Focus indicator caveats
Contrast is only one part of a usable focus indicator. Size, shape, thickness, offset, animation, persistence, and location all affect whether keyboard users can track focus reliably.
A 3:1 contrast result is a useful signal for the colors in this tool, but the final focus state should still be reviewed in the real component, at real sizes, across hover, active, disabled, selected, light-theme, dark-theme, and forced-colors contexts.
Quick answers
Focus Rings FAQ
What is the Hue Codex focus ring contrast tool?
Hue Codex Focus Ring Contrast Tool is a free browser-based tool that checks a focus ring color against page and component colors, previews configurable focused states, and reports both adjacent contrast ratios.
What contrast ratio should a focus ring have?
Hue Codex checks focus ring colors against a 3:1 UI contrast target for both the page background and the component fill.
Why does the tool check ring versus page and ring versus component?
A focus ring often touches both the outside page surface and the focused component. Checking both sides helps catch rings that disappear against one adjacent color.
What does ring versus page mean?
Ring versus page is the contrast ratio between the focus ring color and the surrounding page background color.
What does ring versus component mean?
Ring versus component is the contrast ratio between the focus ring color and the focused component fill color.
What does the Suggest button do?
The Suggest button looks for a ring color that can meet the 3:1 target against both the page background and component fill, then applies the best candidate for review.
Does passing 3:1 guarantee an accessible focus state?
No. Passing contrast is important, but focus accessibility also depends on thickness, size, placement, persistence, and the real component context.
Can I copy the focus ring report?
Yes. The tool exports the focus ring, page background, component fill, ring geometry, ring-versus-page contrast, ring-versus-component contrast, CSS, JSON, Markdown, and token-style handoff data.