WCAG check API: docs

{
  "id": "scan_c1b9a6b19b2680b9ea03",
  "object": "wcag_scan",
  "status": "done",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/",
  "pages_requested": 2,
  "device": "both",
  "created_at": "2026-11-07T07:38:32Z",
  "started_at": "2026-11-07T07:38:32Z",
  "finished_at": "2026-11-07T07:38:59Z",
  "links": {
    "self": "/v1/wcag/scans/scan_c1b9a6b19b2680b9ea03",
    "report_pdf": "/v1/wcag/scans/scan_c1b9a6b19b2680b9ea03/report.pdf"
  },
  "api_version": "2026-11-07",
  "standard": "WCAG 2.2 AA",
  "checked_views": [
    "desktop 1280x900",
    "phone 320x640"
  ],
  "pages": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.example.com/",
      "status": "checked",
      "title": "Home - Fixture Plumbing",
      "note": null
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.example.com/about.html",
      "status": "checked",
      "title": "About us - Fixture Plumbing",
      "note": null
    }
  ],
  "score": 52,
  "score_note": "0-100 from definite problems only (needs-review items do not lower it). Never a statement that a site is compliant.",
  "counts": {
    "definite": 5,
    "needs_review": 0,
    "fix_verified": 5,
    "confirmed_by_second_check": 5
  },
  "owner_summary": [
    "We checked 2 page(s) on desktop and phone. Accessibility score 52/100.",
    "5 definite problem type(s), every one confirmed by a second, independent check; 5 serious.",
    "Fix first: Button has no name. Some customers cannot use this control at all (blind or keyboard-only users), so enquiries, bookings or sign-ups can be lost here.",
    "5 fix(es) were applied to a copy of the page and re-checked: the problem was gone and nothing new broke (Proven Fix)."
  ],
  "legal_risk": {
    "summary": "We found 5 definite accessibility problem type(s) (5 serious). Problems like these (missing labels, low contrast, keyboard traps, unnamed buttons) are the kind often listed in accessibility complaints and demand letters. Fixing them lowers that risk; it does not remove it.",
    "laws": [
      {
        "region": "Australia",
        "text": "The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate when providing goods, services and facilities (section 24). The Australian Human Rights Commission treats websites as part of a service; its advisory notes (2014, being updated) point to WCAG at level AA as the benchmark. People can complain to the Commission, which tries to settle it by conciliation; some complaints go on to court.",
        "sources": [
          {
            "title": "Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (legislation.gov.au)",
            "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A04426/latest/text"
          },
          {
            "title": "Australian Human Rights Commission: World Wide Web Access advisory notes",
            "url": "https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/world-wide-web-access-disability-discrimination-act-advisory-notes-ver-41-2014"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "region": "United States",
        "text": "The Americans with Disabilities Act covers businesses open to the public (Title III) and state and local governments (Title II). For businesses there is no detailed federal web standard; the Department of Justice names WCAG as helpful guidance. State and local governments have a rule that uses WCAG 2.1 AA, with dates in April 2027 or April 2028 depending on the population they serve. Private website lawsuits are common in the US.",
        "sources": [
          {
            "title": "ADA.gov: Guidance on web accessibility and the ADA",
            "url": "https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/"
          },
          {
            "title": "ADA.gov: Title II web rule fact sheet",
            "url": "https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "region": "European Union",
        "text": "The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) applies from 28 June 2025 to certain products and services sold to consumers, including e-commerce, banking and transport services. Microenterprises that provide services (fewer than 10 staff and no more than EUR 2 million turnover or balance sheet) are exempt. Each EU country applies it through its own law, so details and penalties differ. The technical benchmark is the standard EN 301 549, which is based on WCAG.",
        "sources": [
          {
            "title": "Directive (EU) 2019/882 (EUR-Lex)",
            "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/882/oj"
          },
          {
            "title": "Irish regulator CCPC: EAA guidelines for microenterprises",
            "url": "https://www.ccpc.ie/business/enforcement/accessibility/european-accessibility-act-guidelines-for-microenterprises/"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "region": "United Kingdom",
        "text": "Under the Equality Act 2010 (Great Britain; Northern Ireland uses the Disability Discrimination Act 1995), businesses that provide services to the public must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and that includes websites. Public sector bodies also have specific website regulations that use WCAG 2.2 and need an accessibility statement.",
        "sources": [
          {
            "title": "Equality Act 2010, section 29 (legislation.gov.uk)",
            "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/29"
          },
          {
            "title": "GOV.UK: Accessibility requirements for public sector websites",
            "url": "https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "not_legal_advice": "This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a law applies to you depends on your business, your customers and where you trade. This report does not show that your site is or is not legal. If you are worried, or you got a complaint or demand letter, talk to a lawyer."
  },
  "issues": [
    {
      "id": "iss_1",
      "page": "https://www.example.com/",
      "level": "definite",
      "kind": "button-name",
      "wcag": [
        "4.1.2"
      ],
      "impact": "critical",
      "title": "Button has no name",
      "who_is_affected": "Screen-reader and voice users hear \"button\" and cannot say or know which one.",
      "explanation": "Button has no text, aria-label or title, so it is announced only as \"button\" (WCAG 4.1.2). It shows only an SVG icon (one rectangle).",
      "business_impact": "Some customers cannot use this control at all (blind or keyboard-only users), so enquiries, bookings or sign-ups can be lost here.",
      "who_fixes": "Your web developer (page template change)",
      "effort": "About 30-60 minutes",
      "selector": ".b1",
      "html_snippet": "<button class=\"b1\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\"><rect width=\"20\" height=\"20\"></rect></svg></button>",
      "count": 1,
      "also_at": [],
      "second_check": {
        "confirmed": true,
        "method": "accessibility tree",
        "detail": "Chrome's accessibility tree gives this button no name (visible, 36 x 29 px)"
      },
      "fix": {
        "text": "Proven Fix (verified on a copy of this page): Add aria-label=\"Describe the action\" - (set `aria-label=\"Describe the action\"`) change `<button class=\"b1\">` to `<button class=\"b1\" aria-label=\"Describe the action\">`. We applied exactly this to a copy and re-ran the axe-core rules and our own page checks: the problem is gone on this element and no new problem appeared on the changed element(s). The words are a placeholder: this button shows only an SVG icon (one rectangle) and its code has no text, title or meaningful class/id, so the tool cannot tell its action. Click it (or find its click handler in the script) to see what it does, then write that action in 1-3 words, e.g. aria-label=\"Play video\" or aria-label=\"Close menu\"; better still, show that word on screen next to the icon.",
        "verified_after_fix": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "code_after": [
          "<button class=\"b1\" aria-label=\"Describe the action\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\"><rect width=\"20\" height=\"20\"></rect></svg></button>"
        ],
        "why_not_verified": null
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "iss_2",
      "page": "https://www.example.com/",
      "level": "definite",
      "kind": "button-name",
      "wcag": [
        "4.1.2"
      ],
      "impact": "critical",
      "title": "Button has no name",
      "who_is_affected": "Screen-reader and voice users hear \"button\" and cannot say or know which one.",
      "explanation": "Button has no text, aria-label or title, so it is announced only as \"button\" (WCAG 4.1.2). It shows only an SVG icon (one circle).",
      "business_impact": "Some customers cannot use this control at all (blind or keyboard-only users), so enquiries, bookings or sign-ups can be lost here.",
      "who_fixes": "Your web developer (page template change)",
      "effort": "About 30-60 minutes",
      "selector": ".b2",
      "html_snippet": "<button class=\"b2\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\"><circle cx=\"10\" cy=\"10\" r=\"9\"></circle></svg></button>",
      "count": 1,
      "also_at": [],
      "second_check": {
        "confirmed": true,
        "method": "accessibility tree",
        "detail": "Chrome's accessibility tree gives this button no name (visible, 36 x 29 px)"
      },
      "fix": {
        "text": "Proven Fix (verified on a copy of this page): Add aria-label=\"Describe the action\" - (set `aria-label=\"Describe the action\"`) change `<button class=\"b2\">` to `<button class=\"b2\" aria-label=\"Describe the action\">`. We applied exactly this to a copy and re-ran the axe-core rules and our own page checks: the problem is gone on this element and no new problem appeared on the changed element(s). The words are a placeholder: this button shows only an SVG icon (one circle) and its code has no text, title or meaningful class/id, so the tool cannot tell its action. Click it (or find its click handler in the script) to see what it does, then write that action in 1-3 words, e.g. aria-label=\"Play video\" or aria-label=\"Close menu\"; better still, show that word on screen next to the icon.",
        "verified_after_fix": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "code_after": [
          "<button class=\"b2\" aria-label=\"Describe the action\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\"><circle cx=\"10\" cy=\"10\" r=\"9\"></circle></svg></button>"
        ],
        "why_not_verified": null
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "iss_3",
      "page": "https://www.example.com/",
      "level": "definite",
      "kind": "contrast",
      "wcag": [
        "1.4.3"
      ],
      "impact": "serious",
      "title": "Text contrast 2.32:1 is below the required 4.5:1",
      "who_is_affected": "People with low vision, older users, anyone on a phone in sunlight.",
      "explanation": "Measured 2.32:1 (#aaaaaa on #ffffff, 16px normal); WCAG 1.4.3 requires 4.5:1.",
      "business_impact": "Older visitors and people with low vision struggle to read this; on a phone in sunlight almost everyone does.",
      "who_fixes": "Your web developer (style/CSS change)",
      "effort": "About 30-60 minutes (one style rule often fixes every place)",
      "selector": ".lo",
      "html_snippet": "<p class=\"lo\">Open 7 days, 7am to 7pm, including public holidays.</p>",
      "count": 1,
      "also_at": [],
      "second_check": {
        "confirmed": true,
        "method": "colour maths + pixels",
        "detail": "own maths 2.32:1 (16px 400, needs 4.5:1) and the strongest on-screen text pixels reach only 2.32:1"
      },
      "fix": {
        "text": "Proven Fix (verified on a copy of this page): Set the text colour to #707070 - add this CSS: `.lo { color: #707070; }`. We applied exactly this to a copy and re-ran the axe-core rules and our own page checks: the problem is gone on this element and no new problem appeared on the changed element(s). Measured on the copy: #707070 on #ffffff measures 4.95:1. Where the colour comes from: the CSS rule `.lo { color: rgb(170, 170, 170) }` in a <style> block in the page.",
        "verified_after_fix": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "code_after": [
          ""
        ],
        "why_not_verified": null
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "iss_4",
      "page": "https://www.example.com/",
      "level": "definite",
      "kind": "img-alt",
      "wcag": [
        "1.1.1"
      ],
      "impact": "serious",
      "title": "Image has no text alternative",
      "who_is_affected": "Blind screen-reader users hear the file name or nothing.",
      "explanation": "Image has no alt attribute (WCAG 1.1.1); screen readers read the file name or skip it.",
      "business_impact": "Screen-reader users hear nothing useful here, and search engines lose the same information.",
      "who_fixes": "You or whoever edits the website content (no coding)",
      "effort": "Quick: about 2 minutes per place",
      "selector": "img",
      "html_snippet": "<img src=\"/van.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\">",
      "count": 1,
      "also_at": [],
      "second_check": {
        "confirmed": true,
        "method": "accessibility tree",
        "detail": "Chrome's accessibility tree gives this image no name (visible, 200 x 120 px)"
      },
      "fix": {
        "text": "Proven Fix (verified on a copy of this page): Add alt=\"Van\" - (set `alt=\"Van\"`) change `<img src=\"/van.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\">` to `<img src=\"/van.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\" alt=\"Van\">`. We applied exactly this to a copy and re-ran the axe-core rules and our own page checks: the problem is gone on this element and no new problem appeared on the changed element(s). The name was taken from its src \"/van.png\"; change the words if they do not say what it shows.",
        "verified_after_fix": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "code_after": [
          "<img src=\"/van.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\" alt=\"Van\">"
        ],
        "why_not_verified": null
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "iss_5",
      "page": "https://www.example.com/about.html",
      "level": "definite",
      "kind": "img-alt",
      "wcag": [
        "1.1.1"
      ],
      "impact": "serious",
      "title": "Image has no text alternative",
      "who_is_affected": "Blind screen-reader users hear the file name or nothing.",
      "explanation": "Image has no alt attribute (WCAG 1.1.1); screen readers read the file name or skip it.",
      "business_impact": "Screen-reader users hear nothing useful here, and search engines lose the same information.",
      "who_fixes": "You or whoever edits the website content (no coding)",
      "effort": "Quick: about 2 minutes per place",
      "selector": "img",
      "html_snippet": "<img src=\"/team.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\">",
      "count": 1,
      "also_at": [],
      "second_check": {
        "confirmed": true,
        "method": "accessibility tree",
        "detail": "Chrome's accessibility tree gives this image no name (visible, 200 x 120 px)"
      },
      "fix": {
        "text": "Proven Fix (verified on a copy of this page): Add alt=\"Team\" - (set `alt=\"Team\"`) change `<img src=\"/team.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\">` to `<img src=\"/team.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\" alt=\"Team\">`. We applied exactly this to a copy and re-ran the axe-core rules and our own page checks: the problem is gone on this element and no new problem appeared on the changed element(s). The name was taken from its src \"/team.png\"; change the words if they do not say what it shows.",
        "verified_after_fix": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "code_after": [
          "<img src=\"/team.png\" width=\"200\" height=\"120\" alt=\"Team\">"
        ],
        "why_not_verified": null
      }
    }
  ],
  "people_must_check": [
    {
      "what": "Whether alt text makes sense",
      "why": "We can see an image has a description, not whether the words describe it well.",
      "how": "Read each image description out loud. Would someone who cannot see the picture get the point?"
    },
    {
      "what": "Screen reader experience",
      "why": "Reading order, announcements and whether things make sense when heard.",
      "how": "Turn on VoiceOver (iPhone: Settings > Accessibility) or NVDA (free on Windows) and try to use your contact form."
    },
    {
      "what": "Keyboard use from start to finish",
      "why": "We test focus and traps on each page, not a whole task like booking or paying.",
      "how": "Put the mouse away. Use Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter and Space to book or send the form. Can you see where you are at every step?"
    },
    {
      "what": "Captions and transcripts",
      "why": "Whether video captions are correct and in sync.",
      "how": "Play each video with sound off. Can you follow it from the captions alone?"
    },
    {
      "what": "Plain language and error messages",
      "why": "Whether instructions and form errors are clear to a real person.",
      "how": "Send your form with a mistake on purpose. Does the message say what went wrong and how to fix it?"
    },
    {
      "what": "PDFs, documents and pages we did not check",
      "why": "This report covers the pages listed only.",
      "how": "List your other important pages and PDFs (menus, price lists, forms) for a later check."
    },
    {
      "what": "Zoom, motion and timing in real use",
      "why": "Some pop-ups, carousels and time limits only appear after use.",
      "how": "Zoom your browser to 200% and use the site. Does anything get cut off, move by itself, or time out?"
    }
  ],
  "limits": "Automated checks find many, not all, accessibility problems. 'definite' = failed our check and was confirmed by a second, independent check in a fresh page load. 'needs_review' = a person must look.",
  "seconds": 26.3,
  "blocked_private_requests": 0
}