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Keep each directory entry as a normal, named link, then reveal a nearby preview when it is hovered or receives keyboard focus. Make the preview stay open as the pointer moves onto it, allow dismissal with Escape, and provide a touch-friendly way to reveal it. For a static thumbnail preview, CSS can be enough; use JavaScript when you need controlled dismissal, timing, or positioning.
Build the directory entry around a real link
The preview is supplementary; it should not be required to identify or open the destination. Put a visible name and thumbnail inside an ordinary anchor, and place the preview card next to that trigger. Reuse the thumbnail rather than loading the destination as a live page.
<ul class="directory">
<li class="directory-item">
<a class="site-link" href="https://example.com">
<img src="/images/example-thumb.webp" alt="" width="96" height="60">
<span>Example site</span>
</a>
<div class="preview">
<img src="/images/example-thumb.webp" alt="" width="320" height="200">
<p>A short description of the site.</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>The empty alt attributes are appropriate here because the visible link text names the destination and the preview repeats the same visual information. If the thumbnail conveys information not present in the link text, provide a concise alternative text instead.
Show a simple preview with CSS
For a non-interactive card, CSS can reveal it on hover and keyboard focus. The preview is a descendant of the list item so the pointer can travel from the link onto the card without leaving the hover region.
#1 Best Overall
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.directory-item {
position: relative;
}
.preview {
position: absolute;
z-index: 1;
top: 100%;
left: 0;
width: min(20rem, 90vw);
padding: 0.75rem;
background: white;
border: 1px solid #bbb;
box-shadow: 0 0.25rem 1rem rgb(0 0 0 / 18%);
visibility: hidden;
opacity: 0;
pointer-events: none;
}
.preview img {
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: auto;
}
.directory-item:hover .preview,
.directory-item:focus-within .preview {
visibility: visible;
opacity: 1;
pointer-events: auto;
}
.site-link:focus-visible {
outline: 3px solid #145bd7;
outline-offset: 3px;
}:focus-within exposes the card while a keyboard user focuses the link. Because the preview is inside the hovered item, moving the pointer into the card keeps it visible. This CSS version does not provide an Escape-to-dismiss control; if dismissal without moving the pointer or focus is required, use a script-managed state or a suitable Popover API implementation. W3C Technique SCR39 gives link previews as an example of content shown on hover or focus and describes Escape dismissal: W3C Technique SCR39.
Meet hover, focus, touch, and dismissal needs
WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.13 covers additional content that appears with hover or keyboard focus, including custom tooltips and other nonmodal popups. The content should be dismissible, hoverable, and persistent: users need time to read it, must be able to move the pointer over it, and need a way to dismiss it without moving pointer or focus away from its trigger. See the W3C explanation of Content on Hover or Focus.
Rank #2
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W3C’s SCR39 example says: “When hovering over or focusing on a link, a content preview for the link appears just above or below that link.” That is an example in the technique, not normative wording from the success criterion.
- Keyboard: reveal the same content on focus as on pointer hover. Preserve an obvious focus indicator.
- Pointer: keep the trigger and preview within one hoverable region; do not close the card as soon as the pointer leaves the anchor.
- Touch: do not depend on hover. MDN notes that
:hovermay not match on some touchscreens, may match only briefly, or may remain matched until another touch. Ensure the link remains usable without the preview, and provide a deliberate touch activation if the preview itself must be available. See MDN’s:hoverreference. - Dismissal: with script-managed open state, support Escape and restore focus appropriately. A purely decorative card should not contain controls that unexpectedly enter the tab order.
If the preview needs buttons or other interactive controls, it is no longer just a decorative tooltip-like preview. Choose semantics and focus behavior for that interaction instead of copying a simple content-preview pattern.
Rank #3
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Choose CSS, JavaScript, Popover, or a live page deliberately
| Approach | Best suited to | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| CSS hover and focus selectors | A static card that can stay in the same hover/focus structure as its link | Simple, but controlled Escape dismissal, timing, and collision-aware placement need more than basic selectors. |
| JavaScript-managed state | Explicit open/close behavior, Escape handling, delays, or placement adjustments | More control means more state and interaction cases to implement and test. |
| Popover API and interest invokers | Non-modal overlays and declarative hover, focus, or long-press behavior in browsers supporting the particular features | Check support for the exact interest-invoker behavior among your target browsers; general Popover API support does not guarantee uniform support for every related feature. |
| Live iframe | A preview that genuinely must render the destination page | Each iframe adds memory and other computing resources; loading many remote pages can be costly for a directory. |
The Popover API can place non-modal content above other page content. An associated invoker can also improve keyboard focus sequence and expose implicit accessibility relationships. MDN describes declarative hover, focus, and long-press behavior in its interest-invoker guide; verify support for the specific feature you rely on and retain a fallback if your audience includes browsers without it.
For a live iframe, defer loading until a visitor requests it or otherwise limit active frames, then test with the directory size and devices you expect to support. This is a prudent implementation response to per-iframe resource cost, not a threshold established by a benchmark. MDN advises checking for performance problems and explains iframe resource use in its iframe reference.
Rank #4
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Or skip the browser setup
If your immediate task is generating the thumbnail image files for the directory, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot with one request. This does not replace the HTML, CSS, keyboard, or touch behavior above: it creates the image assets your cards can display.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners as a visitor and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers. An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Learn about ScreenshotNeo and sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, no card required.
The Tool Desk
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- The card disappears when moving the pointer to it: place the card inside the same hover region as the trigger, or manage open state so pointer travel into the card does not close it.
- Keyboard users cannot see the preview: add a focus-triggered state such as
:focus-withinor an equivalent script state, and keep a visible focus indicator. - Touch visitors cannot open it: hover is not dependable on touchscreens. Make the link useful on its own and add a deliberate activation path if the preview is essential.
- The card is cut off or obscured: inspect ancestor overflow and stacking contexts. For overlays that must escape clipping, consider a supported Popover implementation or script-managed placement, with a fallback for unsupported target browsers.
- The directory becomes slow with live previews: replace eager iframes with thumbnail images, or load live frames only on request and evaluate performance on the devices and directory sizes you expect.
- Escape does nothing: CSS-only visibility has no script-managed dismissal state. Add a keyboard handler and explicit open/close state, or use a suitable browser-managed popover interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the preview have to open the linked website?
No. A thumbnail and brief description are usually enough for a content preview; use a live iframe only when rendering the destination itself is necessary.
Best Value
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- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Does WCAG require one particular preview design?
The cited WCAG criterion specifies behavior for additional hover- or focus-triggered content—dismissible, hoverable, and persistent—not a single implementation technique.
Quick Recap
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