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Accessibility testing explained

Automated scan vs manual audit

A free automated scan gives you a fast baseline on your storefront. A manual audit tests how real people experience your site with keyboards and assistive technology. Most teams need both at different stages.

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Already ran a scan? See audit and monitoring plans.

Side-by-side comparison

Use this to decide whether you need a quick baseline, a full audit, or both.

Comparison of automated accessibility scans and manual accessibility audits
TopicAutomated scanManual audit
SpeedResults in about 15 to 30 minutes after you confirm your email.Typically 5 to 7 business days for a full storefront and checkout review.
Page coveragePublic storefront URLs we can discover: home, collections, products, and cart UI on those pages.Every flow that matters for conversion and compliance, including /cart and Shopify Checkout.
Keyboard testingFlags some focus and tabindex issues automatically.A person walks every menu, modal, drawer, and form with keyboard only.
Screen readersLimited; cannot judge announcement quality or reading order in complex DOMs.VoiceOver and NVDA testing on real tasks: nav, search, cart, checkout, account.
Dynamic UIMisses or misreads modals, mega menus, tabs, and live regions that change after load.Tests open/close behavior, focus traps, Escape, and state announcements.
DeliverablesViolation report grouped by template vs page-specific findings, health score, PDF export.Severity-ranked findings, fix guidance, remediation plan, and conformance documentation.

What each method covers

Automated tools catch roughly 30 to 50 percent of WCAG 2.x AA issues. The rest requires human judgment.

What automated scans catch well

Each page scan runs automated axe-core checks for WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA, WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and selected WCAG 2.2 Level AA rules.

  • Missing or empty alt attributes on images.
  • Form fields without associated labels.
  • Color contrast failures on text and controls.
  • Duplicate IDs and invalid ARIA roles.
  • Heading hierarchy gaps on crawled templates.
  • Template-level patterns that repeat across many URLs.

What requires human review

  • Alt text quality (automated tools see presence, not meaning).
  • Link and button copy (e.g. "Click here", icon-only buttons without labels).
  • Keyboard interaction logic (focus order, modal focus trap, menu Escape behavior).
  • Custom focus indicators meeting 3:1 contrast.
  • Reading order vs visual order in builder-generated DOMs.
  • Screen reader announcement quality (live regions, dynamic state).
  • Dynamic content states (modals, drawers, mega menus, tabs, accordions).
  • Form validation UX (errors associated, inline, announced).
  • Information conveyed by color alone.
  • Motion and animation; prefers-reduced-motion honored.
  • Captions, transcripts, and audio description accuracy.
  • Cognitive load: instructions clarity, error recovery, jargon.
  • Skip links presence, visibility, and targeting.
  • Touch and pointer alternatives for drag and multi-touch.
  • Authenticated flows (cart, checkout, account) tested keyboard-only with VoiceOver or NVDA.

How scans and audits work together

Start with automation for speed. Add manual review when you need checkout coverage or documentation for stakeholders.

  1. Run the free scan

    Get a fast baseline on your public storefront. Findings are grouped so you can fix shared theme issues once.

  2. Book a manual audit

    We test keyboard, screen reader, cart, and checkout flows that crawlers cannot reach. You get a prioritized fix list.

  3. Remediate in your theme

    We apply code-level fixes on a development branch with Loom walkthroughs so your team understands each change.

  4. Monitor over time

    Optional monthly re-scans and remediation hours catch regressions after theme updates or new apps.

See where your storefront stands

Paste your store URL on our accessibility services page. Your report groups findings by template so you can fix theme-wide issues once.

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Common questions about scans and audits

Automated scans crawl public pages and flag machine-detectable WCAG issues quickly. A manual audit adds human testing with keyboards and screen readers on real user flows, including cart, checkout, and dynamic UI that tools miss.

Ready for the next step?

Run a free scan for a baseline, or book a strategy call to scope a manual audit for your storefront and checkout.

Run free scanBook a manual audit

Scans and audits are technical assessments, not legal advice or compliance guarantees.