How to do an accessibility audit (a 30-minute self-check)

An accessibility audit checks a website against WCAG, usually Level AA. You can do a first self-check in about 30 minutes: run a free automated scan, use the site with only a keyboard, zoom to 400%, check text contrast, review image alt text, submit each form empty, and listen to the main menu with a screen reader. Write down each problem with the page and element.

Checked 3 November 2026 · sources below

Step by step

1. Pick 3-5 key pages. Home, a content page, a form (contact or checkout) and the page most visitors use.
2. Run an automated scan. Use a free browser tool such as WAVE, axe DevTools or Lighthouse on each page. Note each issue with its element.
3. Use only the keyboard. Tab through the page. Can you reach and use every link, button and menu, and can you always see where the focus is?
4. Zoom to 400%. On a laptop, zoom the browser to 400%. Text should reflow into one column without sideways scrolling or cut-off text.
5. Check contrast. Test the lightest text and the button text with a contrast checker: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text and controls.
6. Review images and forms. Each meaningful image needs alt text that says what it shows. Submit each form empty: errors should be in words, next to the field.
7. Listen with a screen reader. Turn on VoiceOver (Mac, iPhone) or NVDA (Windows, free) and listen to the menu and one form. Every control should say what it is.

Self-check or full audit?

A self-check finds the obvious barriers fast. A full audit covers every WCAG criterion on a sample of pages, includes assistive-technology testing, and ends with a report your developers can work through. If your site has many templates, checkout flows or legal pressure, a full audit is worth it.

Write findings so they get fixed

For each issue: the page, the exact element, who it affects (keyboard users, low vision, screen reader), the WCAG criterion and the fix. Put the issues that block a task - you cannot submit the form - first.

Questions

How long does a full accessibility audit take?

For a small site with a handful of templates, usually a few days. Large sites take weeks.

Do I need to test every page?

No. Test each page template and each key task once; problems on a template repeat on every page that uses it.

Can an overlay widget fix accessibility?

Overlays do not fix the underlying code, and many disability groups advise against relying on them. Fix the code.

Sources

• W3C WAI: Easy Checks - A First Review of Web Accessibility
• W3C WAI: WCAG-EM evaluation methodology
• WebAIM: WAVE evaluation tool