Tap target
A tap target is the touchable area of an interactive element: the button, link or checkbox as a thumb reaches it, not as the CSS draws it.
Why it matters
Tap targets below roughly 44 pixels get missed by a normal thumb often enough to be noticed, and the failure looks like a broken page rather than a small button.
How it is measured
At 375px width, measure every button, link and checkbox and confirm all tap targets are at least 44px tall. Lighthouse reports failures under the audit named: Tap targets are not sized appropriately.
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Checks that involve tap target
Related terms
Questions
What is tap target?
A tap target is the touchable area of an interactive element: the button, link or checkbox as a thumb reaches it, not as the CSS draws it.
Why does tap target matter?
Tap targets below roughly 44 pixels get missed by a normal thumb often enough to be noticed, and the failure looks like a broken page rather than a small button.
How is tap target measured?
At 375px width, measure every button, link and checkbox and confirm all tap targets are at least 44px tall. Lighthouse reports failures under the audit named: Tap targets are not sized appropriately.
How big should tap targets be?
Google's Lighthouse audit expects tap targets of at least 48x48 CSS pixels with at least 8 pixels of spacing between neighbours. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines specify 44x44 points, and WCAG 2.5.8 sets a 24x24 CSS pixel minimum at level AA.
How do I fix tap targets that are too small?
Fix tap targets that are too small by enlarging the touchable box, not the glyph: set min-height: 44px and min-width: 44px on the button or link, or add padding until the box reaches 44px. The icon can stay small; the touchable area is what Lighthouse measures.