Accessibility Scanner
The Accessibility Scanner checks your store pages against WCAG 2.1 standards across four categories: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. It identifies accessibility issues and provides actionable results to help you fix them.
WCAG Categories
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Perceivable | Content must be presentable in ways users can perceive (alt text, captions, contrast). |
| Operable | Interface components must be operable by all users (keyboard access, timing, navigation). |
| Understandable | Information and UI operation must be understandable (readable, predictable, input assistance). |
| Robust | Content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies (valid markup, ARIA). |
How to Use the Scanner
Step 1: Choose scan scope
Select which pages to scan:
- Specific pages -- Enter individual page URLs to scan.
- All pages -- Scan every page on your store.
- Group pages -- Scan a group of pages by type (e.g., all product pages, all collection pages).
Step 2: Enter store password (if applicable)
If your store is password-protected, enter the store password so the scanner can access your pages.
Step 3: Run the scan
Click Run Scan to start. Scanning typically takes 10 to 30 seconds per page depending on page complexity.
Do not close the browser tab while the scan is running. Closing the tab will cancel the scan and you will need to start over.
Step 4: Read the results
Once the scan completes, results are displayed in a table format:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Issue | Description of the accessibility issue found. |
| Impact | Severity level: Critical, Serious, Moderate, or Minor. |
| WCAG Level | The WCAG conformance level (A, AA, or AAA). |
| Criteria | The specific WCAG success criterion (e.g., 1.1.1 Non-text Content). |
| Element | The HTML element where the issue was found. |
Step 5: View scan history
Access previous scan results from the History tab. Compare results over time to track your progress toward full compliance.
Step 6: Schedule recurring scans
Set up automatic scans to run on a schedule:
| Frequency | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily | Scan runs once every day. |
| Weekly | Scan runs once every week on a day you choose. |
Scheduled scans ensure you catch new issues as you update your store content.
Step 7: Update your accessibility statement
After reviewing scan results, update your accessibility statement to reflect the current state of your store. See Update Accessibility Statement for details.
Regular scanning is essential for maintaining compliance. Store content changes, theme updates, and new app installations can all introduce new accessibility issues.