#1248: Other Spec Review: CSS scroll-axis-lock

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Opened Jul 21, 2026

Specification

https://drafts.csswg.org/css-overflow-5/

Explainer

https://github.com/explainers-by-googlers/scroll-axis-lock

Links

  • An introduction to the feature, aimed at unfamiliar audiences: Explainer: Introduction <!-- Can be the specification's or explainer's introduction, or another section. -->
  • A description of the problems that end-users were facing before this proposal: Explainer: Introduction <!-- See https://w3ctag.github.io/explainer-explainer/#end-user-need -->
  • Alternatives considered: Explainer: Considered Alternatives <!-- See https://w3ctag.github.io/explainer-explainer/#alternatives -->
  • Examples of how to use the proposal to solve the end-users' problems: Explainer: Use Cases <!-- See https://w3ctag.github.io/explainer-explainer/#describe-proposal -->
  • What do the end-users experience with this proposal: On web pages that disable axis locking, users will be able to pan and scroll diagonally without the browser forcibly snapping their gesture to a single axis. <!-- See https://w3ctag.github.io/explainer-explainer/#describe-proposal -->
  • User research you did to validate the problem and/or design, if any: not user research but this comment demonstrates the developer interest in the feature.
  • Web Platform Tests: WPTs<!-- Or other tests if this is not a web platform feature. -->

The specification

Where and by whom is the work is being done?

  • GitHub repo: None
  • Primary contacts:
    • David Awogbemila (@DavMila), Google, Spec Writing (PR)
    • Robert Flack (@flackr), Google, Initial Proposal
  • Organization/project driving the specification: Google
  • This work is being funded by: Google
  • Primary standards group developing this feature: CSS Working Group (CSSWG) (Resolution)
  • Group intended to standardize this work: CSSWG <!-- if different from the current group -->
  • Incubation and standards groups that have discussed the design:
    • CSSWG <!-- Include a link to minutes or issues in this group if possible. -->

Feedback so far

You should also know that...

Please Note: The feature will be specified in css-overflow-5 when this PR lands.

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Track conversations at https://tag-github-bot.w3.org/gh/w3ctag/design-reviews/1248

Discussions

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Comment by @lukewarlow Jul 23, 2026 (See Github)

Hi @DavMila, thanks for filing this. Please could you expand your explainer to include an accessibility section to describe the considerations that have been made and any potential issues you forsee as a result of this addition. This will make it easier for us to review this.

Comment by @DavMila Jul 24, 2026 (See Github)

Hi @DavMila, thanks for filing this. Please could you expand your explainer to include an accessibility section to describe the considerations that have been made and any potential issues you forsee as a result of this addition. This will make it easier for us to review this.

Hi Luke, I appreciate the feedback. I've put down the thoughts we had around accessibility in the new Accessibility Considerations section of the explainer. Did you have any particular ideas/concerns you'd want to suggest we cover? Thanks.

Discussed Aug 3, 2026 (See Github)

Luke: I asked them to update their explainer with a11y text. They have now done that. I think it looks ok as is. I'm satisfied with this, but folks should speak up now.

Lola: I haven't read this in full, but the concern was at first glance and potential for abuse. Do you think they have mitigations?

Luke: Depends on which parts you are concerned about. It might be possible to create a bad UX. But the developer might realize they have done the wrong thing.

Lola: the XU impacts different people differently. Users with different cognitive abilities can be confused in different ways.

Matthew: I looked at it also but didn't get time. If there's urgency we should publish a position.

Lola: There's doesn't seem to be any urgency for it. So it's ok to wait another week. Matthew and I will look at it over next two weeks.

Discussed Aug 10, 2026 (See Github)

Matthew: Intended for the situations where you have content which naturally should pan in all directions (e.g., a map), and then you want to lock one axis. Would make a lot of things more usable, extensive a11y section. Opt-in for the author. They also make the point that if you have a container which only scrolls in one direction, this doesn’t affect it.

… Only thing I’m worried about is device orientations, not sure if there’s a conflict. If the user wants the browser to not do anything different here, could this be a UA option? Comes back to security and privacy thing, what if the site realizes the user has blocked it? Leads to the wider discussion of fingerprinting.

… Don’t really think it’s likely people would like to turn this off. Assume authors only turn this on where it makes sense. Which would make it generally a positive thing.

… Would be interested if Lola can think of any use cases I might have missed. Probably going to be “satisfied.” Should ask APA though. Seems well thought out.

Hadley: Next steps? Checking back with Lola and Luke?

Matthew: Yes.

Hadley: Are we ok on timing?

Matthew: PR seems to have landed, implementation seems not to have started yet, so we still have time.