WCAG AA checklist for an online shop: 15 points to verify
The list below covers the most common accessibility problems we see in online shops. You can check most of them yourself, without specialist knowledge — and our free scanner will detect some of them for you. The points are ordered from the simplest to the hardest.
Text and images
1. Text contrast (WCAG 1.4.3)
Light-grey text on a white background is a classic of online shops — and one of the most common errors. Regular text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, large text (headings above roughly 24 px) — 3:1. Check in particular: prices, product descriptions, footer text, promotional messages.
2. Alt text for product photos (WCAG 1.1.1)
Every product photo needs an alt attribute with a description, e.g. alt="Black 20 l city backpack with a laptop compartment".
A blind person “browses” the shop with a screen reader — without descriptions they are buying blind.
Mark purely decorative images with an empty alt="".
3. Text zoom up to 200% (WCAG 1.4.4)
A person with low vision zooms the page in the browser (Ctrl and +). Check that at 200%
nothing “breaks”: prices don't run off the screen, “Buy” buttons remain visible.
Don't block pinch-zoom on phones (user-scalable=no is a violation).
Navigation and keyboard
4. The entire purchase without a mouse (WCAG 2.1.1)
Put the mouse aside and go through the whole process with the Tab key: product search → product page → cart → delivery form → payment. If you get “stuck” anywhere — a customer with a disability will get stuck too.
5. Visible focus (WCAG 2.4.7)
As you move with the Tab key, you must clearly see which element is active
(an outline, a highlight). Many templates remove the outline “because it looks ugly” —
that's a mistake. You can style it nicely, but don't remove it.
6. “Skip to content” link (WCAG 2.4.1)
A keyboard user shouldn't have to tab through 30 menu items on every page. The first element on the page should let them jump straight to the main content.
7. Meaningful page titles (WCAG 2.4.2)
Every page should have a unique <title>: “City backpacks – Shop X”,
not “Shop X” everywhere. The title is the first thing a screen-reader user hears.
Forms and the checkout process
8. Form field labels (WCAG 3.3.2)
Every field (name, address, postcode, email) must have an associated label
(<label>), not just a placeholder — a placeholder disappears once text is entered
and is not read correctly by all screen readers.
9. Clear error messages (WCAG 3.3.1, 3.3.3)
“Form error” is not enough. Say what is wrong and how to fix it: “Enter a valid postcode, e.g. 12345”. An error must not be communicated by colour alone (a red border tells a blind person nothing).
10. Buttons with a clear name (WCAG 4.1.2)
A cart icon with no text at all is just a “button” to a screen reader — with no information about what it does.
Add an aria-label="Add to cart" or visible text.
Structure and multimedia
11. Heading hierarchy (WCAG 1.3.1)
Headings are the table of contents of the page: one <h1>, then <h2>,
<h3> — without skipping levels “because it looks nicer”.
Change the appearance in CSS, not with heading levels.
12. Page language (WCAG 3.1.1)
Make sure you have <html lang="en">. Without it, a screen reader will
read your English-language offer with the wrong accent — it sounds comical, but it is a real problem.
13. Captions and transcripts for video (WCAG 1.2.2)
A video presenting a product? Add captions. It helps not only deaf people — most users watch video without sound.
14. Size of touch targets (WCAG 2.5.8)
Buttons and links on a phone should be at least 24×24 px (44×44 px recommended). A tiny “×” closing a popup or minuscule footer links frustrate everyone — not just people with disabilities.
15. Accessibility statement
Inform users about the accessibility status of your website and give them a channel for reporting problems. It builds trust and shows good will — you can generate a statement with our free tool (currently available in Polish).
Where to start?
You don't have to fix everything at once. Start with a free scan, which will point out the items from this list present on your site, then fix contrast and alt attributes (the most common and the cheapest fixes), and finally tackle the keyboard and forms. You can order a full PDF report for the entire domain (up to 20 pages) for €35.
Check points 1–12 automatically
Our scanner checks most of the technical points on this list in 60 seconds.