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Automated accessibility checkers are good at finding technically detectable problems quickly and repeatedly, so they belong in every development cycle. They cannot judge whether a page works with a keyboard, whether link text makes sense out of context, or whether a screen reader user can finish a task. A clean scan shows that some rules passed. It does not show that a service is accessible or usable. Developers need automated checks, manual review, assistive-technology testing, and, where possible, usability testing with disabled people.
What automated tools can catch
The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) describes evaluation tools as able to offer fully automated checks, and says they can be used throughout design and development. Coverage depends on the tool. Some check a single page, others check groups of pages, and products differ in the file formats, standards, operating systems, and scope they support. Automated results can also be false or misleading, so a flagged item needs confirmation before it is treated as a defect.
In practice, automated checks are most useful for:
- Catching regressions on every build, so that a previously fixed problem does not return unnoticed.
- Confirming that an element carries an alternative-text attribute at all. It cannot confirm that the words are accurate or useful.
- Flagging structural issues that follow a defined rule, across many pages at once.
An example of a filtered workflow
GOV.UK’s monitoring process shows how a team can use a scanner without treating every output as a failure. The Government Digital Service (GDS) uses the Axe Chrome extension for simplified testing, records severe or critical errors, and checks highlighted issues manually so that best-practice suggestions are not logged as failures. This describes one government workflow. It is not evidence that Axe, or any scanner, covers every accessibility issue.
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What still needs a human
The W3C’s WCAG 2.2 guidance states that its success criteria are testable, and that testing them combines automated testing with human evaluation. Section508.gov makes the same practical point: automated tools cannot apply human judgment. The table below lists the checks that most often fall outside what a scanner can decide.
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| Check | What a person looks for | Why a scanner falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard reachability | Every link and interactive element can be reached and used with a keyboard, with no keyboard traps. | A tool can see that an element exists. It cannot follow a real tab sequence and notice that focus gets stuck. |
| Focus visibility and order | Focus is always visible, follows a logical sequence, and does not trigger unexpected actions. | Whether focus is visible and logical depends on how the page behaves during use. |
| Zoom and reflow | Text stays readable at 400% zoom and at a small-screen width, with no content cut off. | Layout breakage appears only when the page is rendered at those sizes and interacted with. |
| Link text | Each link makes sense on its own or in its surrounding context. | A tool can detect an empty link. It cannot judge whether “click here” is meaningful. |
| Alternative text | Where an image needs a text alternative, the words convey its purpose. | Presence can be checked mechanically. Appropriateness requires judgment. |
| Form labels | Each control is correctly associated with its label, and the label explains what to enter. | A tool can detect some association errors. Whether a label is helpful is a judgment call. |
| Media and visual content | Audio and video have suitable alternatives, images of text are justified, and carousels or animation have user controls. | Suitability depends on the content and its purpose. |
| Complete task flows | A user can finish a real task, such as booking or submitting a form, using assistive technology. | Static rules check individual elements, not whether a sequence of steps succeeds. |
Running a manual pass
The steps below cover the human checks in a practical order. Repeat them on the pages and flows that matter most to your users, and adapt them to the service.
- Remove the mouse from the process. Press Tab and Shift+Tab to move through every link, button, and form control. Note any point where focus disappears, jumps unexpectedly, or cannot move on.
- Zoom to 400%. In most desktop browsers on Windows or Linux, press Ctrl and +. On macOS, press Command and +. Then narrow the browser window to a small-screen width, around 320 CSS pixels, and check that text remains readable and nothing is cut off.
- Read the link list. Review all link text out of context, for example through a screen reader’s links list, and flag any link whose purpose is unclear.
- Check each form. Confirm every field has a visible label that is properly associated with it, and that error messages identify the field and the problem.
- Inspect media and moving content. Check captions, transcripts, and text alternatives for audio and video. Check whether images that contain text are justified, and whether carousels and animations have pause or stop controls.
- Test with assistive technology. Run a screen reader such as NVDA on Windows or VoiceOver on macOS through at least one complete task, and try speech recognition where your service relies on spoken input.
- Record scope. Note the pages, flows, browsers, assistive technologies, and success criteria you tested, so that the results are not read as broader than they are.
Conformance and usability answer different questions
Conformance testing asks whether content meets the success criteria. Usability testing asks whether people can accomplish their goals. The W3C’s WCAG 2.2 understanding guidance treats these as related but distinct, and recommends usability testing in addition to functional conformance testing, with users with disabilities included in the test groups. Passing a conformance check does not establish that the service is easy to use, and a pleasant usability session does not establish conformance.
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Describing the scope of an audit honestly
An accessibility report should state what it covers. GOV.UK’s detailed audits test relevant WCAG A and AA criteria and use assistive technology. They remain sample-based and do not cover every page on a website. GOV.UK’s published monitoring method references WCAG 2.2 at levels A and AA. These describe one UK government workflow. They are not universal legal advice, and requirements differ by jurisdiction and sector.
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Section508.gov adds several cautions that apply to any team. Reducing false positives may mean testing only a small portion of requirements. Password-protected content, document-format fidelity, and different content types may each need a different tool, so one scanner rarely covers everything.
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Choosing tools
W3C WAI recommends judging a tool by its purpose, product type, price or license, tool type, supported standards, file formats, scope, operating system, browser, the accessibility of the tool itself, rule coverage, and language. Teams often combine tools that suit different roles and stages of development. The WAI guidance is direct on the limit: “Web accessibility evaluation tools can not determine accessibility, they can only assist in doing so.”
Coverage figures to treat with caution
The official guidance cited here does not establish a dependable, broadly applicable figure for the share of accessibility problems that automated tools detect. Treat any fixed percentage you see online with caution until you can trace the study behind it and confirm its scope, including the sites, tools, and criteria it tested.
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Currency of this guidance
GOV.UK’s service guidance was last updated on 29 October 2024. The W3C and Section508.gov pages referenced here did not show a publication date when checked on 7 October 2026. Confirm current WCAG versions and tool rule sets before relying on version-specific details.
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