Website accessibility checklist for site owners

How should you use this checklist?

Each item below is a short check based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level A and AA. Many laws and policies point to WCAG Level AA, so it is the usual target. If WCAG is new to you, start with WCAG explained.

These problems are common. In WebAIM's 2026 study of the top one million home pages, automated tests found WCAG failures on 95.9% of them.

Start with your most visited pages and shared templates. A fix to a template, such as your header, fixes every page that uses it.

A checklist helps you find problems, but passing it does not prove a site is accessible. Fix issues in your own code and content, then test with disabled people.

What should you check in page structure and content?

Good structure helps screen readers and search engines understand how a page is organized.

• Every page has a unique title that says what the page is, such as "Pricing | Your Brand".
• The page language is set in the code with the lang attribute, for example lang="en".
• Headings follow the page outline: an h1 for the topic, then h2 and h3 in order, chosen by meaning, not size.
• Menus, main content and footers use the nav, main and footer elements.
• Lists are real lists, and data tables are real tables with header cells.
• Text can be zoomed to 200% with nothing cut off, and pages fit a phone screen without scrolling sideways.
• The layout still works when visitors add more space between lines, letters and words.

Then check the words themselves.

• Sentences are short, words are common and jargon is explained.
• Link text says where the link goes, such as "See pricing" instead of "Click here".
• Instructions don't rely on color, shape or position alone, like "press the green button on the right".
• Navigation stays in the same place and order on every page.
• If something times out, people are warned and can ask for more time.

What should you check for images and media?

Images need text alternatives, and audio and video need text versions. Our alt text guide has examples.

• Every image that carries meaning has alt text that says what it shows or does.
• Decorative images have an empty alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip them.
• Images inside links or buttons describe the action or destination, such as "Search".
• Text is real text, not part of an image, except in logos.
• Charts and diagrams have their key facts in text near the image.

For audio, video and motion:

• Videos with speech have accurate captions.
• Audio-only content, like a podcast, has a transcript.
• Important visual information in a video is also given in speech or text.
• No sound plays on its own for more than three seconds without a way to pause it or turn it down.
• Carousels and other moving content that start on their own and last more than five seconds can be paused.
• Nothing flashes more than three times in any one second.

What should you check for color and contrast?

Test your color pairs with our free contrast checker.

• Normal text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background.
• Large text (at least 24 pixels, or about 18.7 pixels if bold) has at least 3:1.
• Icons, form field borders, focus indicators and chart lines have at least 3:1 against the colors next to them.
• Placeholder text and text that appears on hover or focus also meet the minimum.
• Text over photos or gradients stays readable on every part of the image.
• Color is never the only way to show meaning. Errors, required fields and links also use text, icons or underlines.

What should you check for keyboard access and forms?

Many people use a keyboard, switch or voice control instead of a mouse. Our keyboard accessibility guide shows how to test.

• Every link, button, menu and form control works with the keyboard alone.
• A clear focus indicator always shows where you are.
• Focus moves in a logical order that matches the layout.
• A "Skip to main content" link is the first thing you reach with Tab.
• Focus never gets stuck. Dialogs close with Escape and send focus back to the button that opened them.
• Sticky headers, cookie banners and chat buttons never fully cover the item that has focus.
• Click and tap targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough space around them.

For forms:

• Every field has a visible label that is linked to it in the code.
• Required fields are clearly marked, and not by color alone.
• Error messages say what went wrong and how to fix it, next to the field.
• What people typed is kept when an error appears.
• Name, email and address fields use autocomplete attributes so browsers can fill them in.
• Logging in doesn't depend on memory or puzzles. People can paste passwords and use password managers.
• People don't have to enter the same information twice in one process.

How do you test your website for accessibility?

Automated tools only find some problems, so mix them with hands-on checks.

1. Run a free automated checker, such as WAVE from WebAIM or the Lighthouse audit in Chrome's developer tools.
2. Put your mouse away and use each key page with only the keyboard.
3. Zoom the page to 200% and check that nothing is cut off.
4. Turn on a screen reader (VoiceOver on Mac and iPhone, NVDA on Windows or TalkBack on Android) and listen to a page from top to bottom.
5. Ask disabled people to try key tasks, like signing up or checking out, and note where they get stuck.
6. Test again after redesigns and new features.

The W3C's Easy Checks are a good next step. For a full picture, consider an audit by an accessibility expert.

Can an accessibility widget complete this checklist for you?

No. A widget can't change your site's code, so it can't add alt text, label your form fields or fix your heading order.

What a widget can do is give visitors more control. Octo Assist adds a panel of tools, such as larger text, more spacing and read aloud, and lets visitors send you a "Report a problem" message about issues you missed. See all the tools.