Short answer: aria-current marks the one item in a group that represents where the user is, such as the link to the current page in a menu or a breadcrumb. Use aria-current="page" for pages, step for a process and true for anything else. Mark only one item per group.
What aria-current tells screen readers
Menus, breadcrumbs and step lists usually show the current item in a different style. MDN says aria-current gives assistive technology users the same information that sighted users get from that styling.
The attribute goes on the element that represents the current item within its group. MDN asks you to mark only one element in a set as current. Our website navigation guide covers how to build the menus themselves.
Which value to use
| Value | What it marks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| page | The current page in a set of pages | The breadcrumb or menu link to this page |
| step | The current step in a process | The current step of a checkout |
| location | The current location in a context | The highlighted box of a flow chart |
| date | The current date in a set of dates | The highlighted day in a calendar |
| time | The current time in a set of times | The current time in a timetable |
| true | The current item in a set | Any other group |
The values as MDN lists them, read November 5, 2026.
False is the default and means the item isn’t current. MDN adds that any other value that isn’t empty counts as true, so a typo still marks the item as current.
In menus and breadcrumbs
The W3C menu tutorial asks you to mark the current item of a menu to help people find their way. It shows two techniques: replace the link with plain text and an invisible label, or keep the link and add aria-current="page" when it can’t be removed.
The W3C breadcrumb pattern puts the trail in a navigation landmark with a label. The link to the current page carries aria-current="page", and if the current page isn’t a link, the attribute is optional. Our breadcrumbs guide explains how to add a trail.
Current is not selected
MDN separates the two. Current is where the user is; selected is what the user picked, such as a tab. Tabs use aria-selected to show which panel is displayed.
MDN warns against using aria-current in place of aria-selected in a grid cell, an option, a row or a tab. For states and properties in general, see our guide to what ARIA is.
How to mark the current page
- Find the item styled as current in each menu, breadcrumb or step list.
- Add aria-current with the value that fits: page, step, location, date or time.
- Mark only one item in each group.
- Keep the visual style as well, so sighted users see it too.
- Move the attribute whenever the current item changes.
- Use aria-selected, not aria-current, for tabs and options.
- Check in the accessibility tree that the right item carries it.
Where our pages mark the current page
We listed every element with aria-current on our SEO page and a guide, in both languages, on November 5, 2026. All of them use the value page, and no group marks more than one element.
The language switch marks the active language, which Chrome names “EN, English”. The footer marks its link to the page you are on, “SEO services” on the SEO page. The Services panel marks it too: Chrome hides that link while the panel is closed and reads it as “SEO” once it opens.
On a guide, the last step of the breadcrumb is the page’s own title. It is plain text, not a link, and still carries aria-current="page", which the W3C breadcrumb pattern leaves optional.
Before you publish
- Every menu and breadcrumb marks the page you are on.
- Each group marks one item, never two.
- The value matches the item: page, step, location, date or time.
- The current item looks different on screen too.
- Tabs and options use aria-selected instead.
- The attribute moves when the current item changes.
Rememberaria-current says out loud what the styling shows: you are here. Put it on one item per group and keep it in step with the screen.
Our web design service marks the current page in the navigation it builds, as on this site.
Quick answers about aria-current
What does aria-current="page" do?
It tells assistive technology that this link or item is the current page within its group, such as a menu or a breadcrumb. Sighted users see that from the styling; screen reader users get it from the attribute.
Should the current page in a menu still be a link?
Either way works. The W3C menu tutorial shows two techniques: replace the link with plain text and an invisible “Current page” label, or keep the link and add aria-current="page" when it can’t be removed.
How is aria-current different from aria-selected?
Current is where the user is; selected is what the user picked. MDN says to use aria-selected for tabs, and never aria-current in its place in a grid cell, an option, a row or a tab.
Can more than one element have aria-current?
Not in the same group. MDN says to mark only one element in a set as current. Different groups can each have their own, such as a menu and a breadcrumb that both point to the page you are on.
What if I use a value that is not on the list?
It counts as true. MDN lists page, step, location, date, time, true and false, and treats any other value that isn’t empty as if aria-current="true" were set, not the default false.
Sources
Read on November 5, 2026. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: Breadcrumb Pattern and Menu Structure. MDN Web Docs: ARIA: aria-current attribute. Our case: our own pages, read in a browser on November 5, 2026.