WCAG 2.1 AA Accessibility Audit Checklist

A complete list of accessibility requirements your ecommerce store must meet. Check each item, or scan your HTML with Scan Record to automate the audit.

Automated Audit with Scan Record

Images & Visual Content

Every image has descriptive alt text

Decorative images use alt="" (empty)

Image alt text describes content, not "image of"

Complex images (charts, diagrams) have long descriptions

Learn more about alt text →

Forms & Input Fields

Every form field has a visible label

Labels are associated with inputs (for/id attribute)

Error messages are clear and linked to fields

Required fields are marked as required (aria-required)

Placeholder text is not used as a label substitute

Form accessibility guide →

Keyboard Navigation

All interactive elements are keyboard-reachable (Tab)

Tab order is logical and visible (focus indicator)

No keyboard trap (user can Tab away from any element)

Buttons and links respond to Enter/Space

Focus is not hidden or removed

Test keyboard navigation →

Color & Contrast

Text contrast ratio is 4.5:1 for normal text

Large text (18pt+) contrast ratio is 3:1

Color is not the only way to convey information

Links are distinguishable from surrounding text

Heading Structure

Page has exactly one H1

Headings are in logical order (H1 → H2 → H3, no skips)

Headings are not used for styling

Page Structure & Semantics

Page has a semantic structure (nav, main, footer)

Language is set on html element (lang="en")

Page title is descriptive and unique

Lists are marked as ul/ol/li, not div

Multimedia & Animations

Videos have captions (CC) and transcripts

Audio has transcripts

Nothing flashes more than 3 times per second

Autoplay is avoided or can be stopped

Mobile & Responsive

Touch targets are at least 44×44 CSS pixels

Text is readable without horizontal scrolling

Zoom to 200% works without loss of content

Next Steps

Using Scan Record to audit your site automates many of these checks and generates a dated, signed record you can keep on file for compliance.

Run an Automated Audit Now