Use VoiceOver to navigate webpages by DOM or group mode on Mac
VoiceOver provides two modes for navigating webpages: by a webpage’s Document Object Model (DOM), or by grouping related items. You can choose a mode to use as the default, and easily switch modes as needed.
Note: VO represents the VoiceOver modifier that you press with additional keys to enter VoiceOver commands. By default, you can press Control and Option together or just press Caps Lock.
Set the default navigation mode
Open VoiceOver Utility (press VO-Fn-F8 when VoiceOver is on).
Click the Web category.
Click Navigation, then select “DOM order” or “Grouping items”.
Switch navigation modes
Do one of the following:
When VoiceOver is on, press VO-H-H to display the Commands menu, type “dom” to narrow the list of commands, then select Toggle Web Navigation DOM or Group.
Use VoiceOver Utility to assign the Toggle Web Navigation DOM or Group command to a key, then use that key to switch modes while navigating web pages. See Customise key commands and trackpad gestures for VoiceOver.
Navigate by DOM
When you navigate by DOM, you move left and right, in the order set by the webpage’s author. (Moving up and down in DOM mode is based on the items included in the VoiceOver rotor when viewing webpages.)
If a webpage contains lists, press the VoiceOver modifier with the arrow keys to navigate the list items (you don’t need to interact with the list). By default, you can use either Caps Lock or Control-Option as the VoiceOver modifier.
Navigate by grouping items
When you navigate by group, you move in any direction, to help give you a sense of context.
If a webpage contains lists, interact with the list to navigate the list items. You don’t need to interact with groups that contain only one item.
When you navigate to a list, VoiceOver indicates the number of items in the list and when it has reached the end of the list.
If you use VoiceOver gestures, the current web navigation mode affects how you navigate webpages using the gestures rotor. In DOM mode, flicking up or down moves to the previous or next instance of the item that matches the current setting in the gestures rotor. In group mode, flicking up or down moves to the previous or next group of related items.
Download this guide in Braille Ready Format: BRF (English)