quarto-dev · cscheid · Jul 14, 2026 · Aug 27, 2026 · Aug 27, 2026
diff --git a/news/changelog-1.11.md b/news/changelog-1.11.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ All changes included in 1.11:
 - ([#14818](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/14818)): Fix a dashboard with more than one page going blank when the URL hash does not name a page, such as a footnote link or a cross-reference. Such a hash is now left alone, so the current page stays visible.
 - ([#14819](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/14819)): Fix keyboard focus starting inside the page content when a dashboard opens at a page hash, such as `dashboard.html#sales`. Tabbing forward could not reach the navbar. Focus now starts at the top of the document.
 
+### `html`
+
+- ([#14684](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/14684)): Add a "Skip to main content" link to Bootstrap-themed HTML output (documents, websites, books, dashboards) so keyboard users can bypass navigation blocks (WCAG 2.4.1). The link is the first tab stop on every page, visually hidden until focused, and its text is customizable via the `language` key `skip-to-content`. Dashboards additionally mark their content container as the `main` landmark.
+
 ## Engines
 
 ### `knitr`

diff --git a/src/config/constants.ts b/src/config/constants.ts
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ export const kToggleNavigation = "toggle-navigation";
 export const kCopyButtonTooltip = "copy-button-tooltip";
 export const kCopyButtonTooltipSuccess = "copy-button-tooltip-success";
 export const kBackToTop = "back-to-top";
+export const kSkipToContent = "skip-to-content";
 export const kRepoActionLinksEdit = "repo-action-links-edit";
 export const kRepoActionLinksSource = "repo-action-links-source";
 export const kRepoActionLinksIssue = "repo-action-links-issue";
@@ -436,6 +437,7 @@ export const kLanguageDefaultsKeys = [
   kCopyButtonTooltip,
   kCopyButtonTooltipSuccess,
   kBackToTop,
+  kSkipToContent,
   kRepoActionLinksEdit,
   kRepoActionLinksSource,
   kRepoActionLinksIssue,

diff --git a/src/config/types.ts b/src/config/types.ts
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ import {
   kSelfContainedMath,
   kShiftHeadingLevelBy,
   kShortcodes,
+  kSkipToContent,
   kSlideLevel,
   kSourceNotebookPrefix,
   kStandalone,
@@ -696,6 +697,7 @@ export interface FormatLanguage {
   [kCopyButtonTooltip]?: string;
   [kCopyButtonTooltipSuccess]?: string;
   [kBackToTop]?: string;
+  [kSkipToContent]?: string;
   [kToggleDarkMode]?: string;
   [kToggleNavigation]?: string;
   [kToggleReaderMode]?: string;

diff --git a/src/format/dashboard/format-dashboard.ts b/src/format/dashboard/format-dashboard.ts
@@ -335,6 +335,9 @@ function dashboardHtmlPostProcessor(
     // Mark the page container with layout instructions
     const containerEl = doc.querySelector("div.page-layout-custom");
     if (containerEl) {
+      // dashboards have no <main> element, so mark the content container
+      // as the main landmark for assistive technology
+      containerEl.setAttribute("role", "main");
       const containerClz = [
         "quarto-dashboard-content",
         "bslib-gap-spacing",

diff --git a/src/format/html/format-html-bootstrap.ts b/src/format/html/format-html-bootstrap.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
   kQuartoTemplateParams,
   kRelatedFormatsTitle,
   kSectionDivs,
+  kSkipToContent,
   kTocDepth,
   kTocExpand,
   kTocLocation,
@@ -526,6 +527,10 @@ function bootstrapHtmlPostprocessor(
       doc.body.insertBefore(beforeBodyScript, doc.body.firstChild);
     }
 
+    // add a skip-to-content link as the first element of the body so that
+    // keyboard users can bypass navigation (WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks)
+    injectSkipLink(doc, format);
+
     // Process the elements of this document into an appendix
     if (
       format.metadata[kAppendixStyle] !== false &&
@@ -545,6 +550,37 @@ function bootstrapHtmlPostprocessor(
   };
 }
 
+function injectSkipLink(doc: Document, format: Format) {
+  // resolve the link target, from most to least specific: the article-layout
+  // main content element, a hand-authored main, the custom-layout container
+  // (standalone custom layouts and dashboards), or the website custom-layout
+  // content container
+  const target = doc.querySelector("#quarto-document-content") ||
+    doc.querySelector("main") ||
+    doc.querySelector("div.page-layout-custom") ||
+    doc.querySelector("#quarto-content");
+  if (!target) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (!target.id) {
+    target.id = "quarto-document-content";
+  }
+  // tabindex=-1 so that activating the link moves keyboard focus into the
+  // content (not just scroll position) across browsers and assistive tech
+  target.setAttribute("tabindex", "-1");
+
+  const skipLink = doc.createElement("a");
+  skipLink.id = "quarto-skip-link";
+  skipLink.classList.add("visually-hidden-focusable");
+  skipLink.setAttribute("href", `#${target.id}`);
+  skipLink.appendChild(
+    doc.createTextNode(
+      format.language[kSkipToContent] || "Skip to main content",
+    ),
+  );
+  doc.body.insertBefore(skipLink, doc.body.firstChild);
+}
+
 function createLinkChild(formatLink: AlternateLink, doc: Document) {
   const link = doc.createElement("a");
   link.setAttribute("href", formatLink.href);

diff --git a/src/resources/editor/tools/vs-code.mjs b/src/resources/editor/tools/vs-code.mjs
@@ -10373,6 +10373,7 @@ var require_yaml_intelligence_resources = __commonJS({
               "search-no-results-text": "string",
               "copy-button-tooltip": "string",
               "copy-button-tooltip-success": "string",
+              "skip-to-content": "string",
               "repo-action-links-edit": "string",
               "repo-action-links-source": "string",
               "repo-action-links-issue": "string",
@@ -25387,12 +25388,12 @@ var require_yaml_intelligence_resources = __commonJS({
         mermaid: "%%"
       },
       "handlers/mermaid/schema.yml": {
-        _internalId: 223031,
+        _internalId: 223755,
         type: "object",
         description: "be an object",
         properties: {
           "mermaid-format": {
-            _internalId: 223023,
+            _internalId: 223747,
             type: "enum",
             enum: [
               "png",
@@ -25408,7 +25409,7 @@ var require_yaml_intelligence_resources = __commonJS({
             exhaustiveCompletions: true
           },
           theme: {
-            _internalId: 223030,
+            _internalId: 223754,
             type: "anyOf",
             anyOf: [
               {

diff --git a/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/all-schema-definitions.json b/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/all-schema-definitions.json
diff --git a/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/web-worker.js b/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/web-worker.js
diff --git a/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/yaml-intelligence-resources.json b/src/resources/editor/tools/yaml/yaml-intelligence-resources.json
@@ -3341,6 +3341,7 @@
           "search-no-results-text": "string",
           "copy-button-tooltip": "string",
           "copy-button-tooltip-success": "string",
+          "skip-to-content": "string",
           "repo-action-links-edit": "string",
           "repo-action-links-source": "string",
           "repo-action-links-issue": "string",
@@ -18355,12 +18356,12 @@
     "mermaid": "%%"
   },
   "handlers/mermaid/schema.yml": {
-    "_internalId": 223031,
+    "_internalId": 223755,
     "type": "object",
     "description": "be an object",
     "properties": {
       "mermaid-format": {
-        "_internalId": 223023,
+        "_internalId": 223747,
         "type": "enum",
         "enum": [
           "png",
@@ -18376,7 +18377,7 @@
         "exhaustiveCompletions": true
       },
       "theme": {
-        "_internalId": 223030,
+        "_internalId": 223754,
         "type": "anyOf",
         "anyOf": [
           {

diff --git a/src/resources/formats/dashboard/quarto-dashboard.js b/src/resources/formats/dashboard/quarto-dashboard.js
@@ -133,6 +133,25 @@ window.document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function (_event) {
     }
   });
 
+  // Move focus for the skip-to-content link without changing the hash.
+  // A plain anchor jump pushes a history entry that names no page, so Back
+  // would land on a dead step: the URL changes but the page does not, and
+  // the reader has to press Back twice. Without JS the link still works as
+  // an ordinary in-page anchor.
+  const skipLinkEl = document.getElementById("quarto-skip-link");
+  if (skipLinkEl) {
+    skipLinkEl.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
+      const targetId = QuartoDashboardUtils.urlHash(
+        skipLinkEl.getAttribute("href") || ""
+      ).substring(1);
+      const targetEl = targetId ? document.getElementById(targetId) : null;
+      if (targetEl) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        targetEl.focus();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   // Hook tabs and use that to update history / active tabs
   const navItems = document.querySelectorAll(".navbar .nav-item .nav-link");
   for (const navItem of navItems) {

diff --git a/src/resources/formats/html/bootstrap/_bootstrap-rules.scss b/src/resources/formats/html/bootstrap/_bootstrap-rules.scss
@@ -23,6 +23,29 @@ ol > li:not(:has(> p)) > ol > li:has(> p) {
   margin-top: 1rem;
 }
 
+// skip-to-content link (WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks); visually hidden via
+// Bootstrap's .visually-hidden-focusable helper until it receives focus
+#quarto-skip-link:focus {
+  position: fixed;
+  top: $spacer * 0.5;
+  inset-inline-start: $spacer * 0.5;
+  z-index: $zindex-skip-link;
+  padding: $spacer * 0.5 $spacer;
+  background-color: $body-bg;
+  color: $link-color;
+  text-decoration: none;
+  border: 1px solid $border-color;
+  border-radius: $border-radius;
+  box-shadow: 0 0.25rem 0.75rem rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
+}
+
+// the skip-link target receives programmatic focus (tabindex="-1"); don't
+// draw a focus ring around the entire content area
+#quarto-document-content:focus,
+#quarto-content:focus {
+  outline: none;
+}
+
 // Grid layout
 body {
   margin: 0;

diff --git a/src/resources/formats/html/bootstrap/_bootstrap-variables.scss b/src/resources/formats/html/bootstrap/_bootstrap-variables.scss
@@ -191,6 +191,9 @@ $enable-cssgrid: true;
 
 $zindex-pagelayout: 998;
 
+// above the fixed/headroom navbar ($zindex-fixed: 1030)
+$zindex-skip-link: 1070 !default;
+
 $popover-bg: if(variable-exists(body-bg), $body-bg, null) !default;
 $input-bg: if(variable-exists(body-bg), $body-bg, null) !default;
 

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-de.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-de.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Problem melden"
 
 back-to-top: "Zurück nach oben"
 
+skip-to-content: "Zum Hauptinhalt springen"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Keine Treffer"
 search-matching-documents-text: "Treffer"
 search-copy-link-title: "Link in die Suche kopieren"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-es.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-es.yml
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Informar sobre problema"
 
 back-to-top: "Volver arriba"
 
+skip-to-content: "Saltar al contenido principal"
+
 search-no-results-text: "No se han encontrado resultados"
 search-matching-documents-text: "documentos encontrados"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copiar el enlace en la búsqueda"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-fr.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-fr.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Faire part d'un problème"
 
 back-to-top: "Retour au sommet"
 
+skip-to-content: "Aller au contenu principal"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Pas de résultats"
 search-matching-documents-text: "documents trouvés"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copier le lien vers la recherche"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-it.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-it.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Segnala un problema"
 
 back-to-top: "Torna in cima"
 
+skip-to-content: "Vai al contenuto principale"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Nessun risultato"
 search-matching-documents-text: "documenti trovati"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copiare il link nella ricerca"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-ja.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-ja.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "問題を報告"
 
 back-to-top: "トップに戻る"
 
+skip-to-content: "メインコンテンツにスキップ"
+
 search-no-results-text: "一致なし"
 search-matching-documents-text: "一致した文書"
 search-copy-link-title: "検索へのリンクをコピー"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-nl.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-nl.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Een probleem melden"
 
 back-to-top: "Terug naar boven"
 
+skip-to-content: "Ga naar de hoofdinhoud"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Geen resultaten"
 search-matching-documents-text: "Gevonden documenten"
 search-copy-link-title: "Kopieer link om te zoeken"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-pt-BR.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-pt-BR.yml
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Criar uma issue"
 
 back-to-top: "De volta ao topo"
 
+skip-to-content: "Pular para o conteúdo principal"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Nenhum resultado"
 search-matching-documents-text: "documentos correspondentes"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copiar link para a busca"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-pt.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-pt.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Criar uma issue"
 
 back-to-top: "De volta ao topo"
 
+skip-to-content: "Saltar para o conteúdo principal"
+
 search-no-results-text: "Nenhum resultado"
 search-matching-documents-text: "documentos correspondentes"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copiar link para a busca"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-zh-TW.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-zh-TW.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "回報問題"
 
 back-to-top: "回到頂端"
 
+skip-to-content: "跳至主要內容"
+
 search-no-results-text: "沒有結果"
 search-matching-documents-text: "符合的文件"
 search-copy-link-title: "複製搜尋連結"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language-zh.yml b/src/resources/language/_language-zh.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "反馈问题"
 
 back-to-top: "回到顶部"
 
+skip-to-content: "跳至主要内容"
+
 search-no-results-text: "没有结果"
 search-matching-documents-text: "匹配的文档"
 search-copy-link-title: "复制搜索链接"

diff --git a/src/resources/language/_language.yml b/src/resources/language/_language.yml
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ repo-action-links-issue: "Report an issue"
 
 back-to-top: "Back to top"
 
+skip-to-content: "Skip to main content"
+
 search-no-results-text: "No results"
 search-matching-documents-text: "matching documents"
 search-copy-link-title: "Copy link to search"

diff --git a/src/resources/schema/definitions.yml b/src/resources/schema/definitions.yml
@@ -1393,6 +1393,7 @@
       search-no-results-text: string
       copy-button-tooltip: string
       copy-button-tooltip-success: string
+      skip-to-content: string
       repo-action-links-edit: string
       repo-action-links-source: string
       repo-action-links-issue: string

diff --git a/src/resources/schema/json-schemas.json b/src/resources/schema/json-schemas.json
@@ -1728,6 +1728,9 @@
           "copy-button-tooltip-success": {
             "type": "string"
           },
+          "skip-to-content": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
           "repo-action-links-edit": {
             "type": "string"
           },

diff --git a/src/resources/types/schema-types.ts b/src/resources/types/schema-types.ts
@@ -693,6 +693,7 @@ export type FormatLanguage = {
   "search-no-results-text"?: string;
   "copy-button-tooltip"?: string;
   "copy-button-tooltip-success"?: string;
+  "skip-to-content"?: string;
   "repo-action-links-edit"?: string;
   "repo-action-links-source"?: string;
   "repo-action-links-issue"?: string;