Regiongreyedout

Regiongreyedout is a term used in user interface design to describe the state of a region of an application that is temporarily inactive or unavailable to the user. The term is applied to sections such as controls, panels, map regions, or form segments to communicate that interaction is not currently possible or that the region's content is not actionable.

Visually, regiongreyedout commonly involves desaturation, reduced contrast, and a lightened color; an overlaid semi-transparent layer may be used, sometimes combined with status text. Functionally, the region may be non-interactive, achieved by disabling controls or by blocking pointer events, ensuring keyboard focus does not reach elements within the region.

Regiongreyedout is not defined by a single standard; developers implement it through styling and state logic. Typical patterns include applying a dedicated CSS class to the region and toggling interactivity via pointer-events: none, disabled attributes, or equivalent framework mechanisms. The state is often tied to data or permission, such that the region becomes greyed out while data loads, while permissions are pending, or while required inputs are missing.

Accessibility considerations for regiongreyedout emphasize that color alone should not convey status. ARIA attributes such as aria-disabled="true" may be used, and any explanatory text should be visible or screen reader accessible. When the region becomes active again, focus management and announced updates help maintain usability.

Common contexts include dashboards gating actions until a prerequisite is met, maps where certain geographic regions are not yet selectable, form sections awaiting validation, and feature flags that temporarily disable functionality for some users. Because it can impact task completion, regiongreyout is typically designed to be reversible and clearly signaled.