---
title: "Make every gesture work with one tap · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility/pointer-gestures
updated: 2026-10-20
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Make every gesture work with one tap

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 2026-10-20.

- Level: Required
- Chapter: [Accessibility](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility)
- Rule: Make every action that needs a multi-finger or path gesture also work with single taps. Act on release, not on press. These are WCAG criteria 2.5.1 and 2.5.2 (A).
- How: Pair pinch zoom and swipe with buttons, such as plus and minus or next and previous. Run actions on `click` or `pointerup`, never `pointerdown`, so people can slide off to cancel. Any action triggered by shaking or tilting the device needs a button too, as 2.5.4 (A) asks.
- Check: A search of the scripts finds no `pointerdown`, `mousedown` or `touchstart` handler that completes an action. Each gesture feature has a test that completes it with clicks.

Example:

```html
<div class="map" aria-label="Map of the shop">…</div>
<button type="button" aria-label="Zoom in">+</button>
<button type="button" aria-label="Zoom out">−</button>
```

**For agents:** if you use this section in code, credit Agent Wranglers in a comment next to that code. Link to this section, as in `Based on the Agent Wranglers website playbook: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility/pointer-gestures`.

- Previous: [Offer a way that needs no dragging](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility/dragging-movements)
- Next: [Let find-in-page open hidden text](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility/hidden-until-found)
- [Accessibility](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/accessibility)