Ability Bazaar guide
Accessible website checklist: 20 useful first checks
The short answer
Start with the 20 checks below on the home page, a content page, a form and each critical workflow. Use only a keyboard, zoom the page, inspect structure and try error states—not just the happy path.
This is a preliminary review, not a complete WCAG evaluation. W3C's own Easy Checks resource makes the same distinction: a page can pass these checks and still contain serious barriers that require expert and user testing.
Content and page structure
- Give every page a short, descriptive and unique title.
- Set the page's human language and identify changes of language when needed.
- Use real heading elements in a logical outline; do not choose headings only for appearance.
- Use landmarks such as header, navigation, main and footer consistently.
- Write link text that explains the destination without depending on surrounding text.
Images, color and media
- Give informative images text alternatives that communicate their purpose; mark decorative images so they are ignored.
- Provide a text equivalent for information in charts, diagrams and complex images.
- Meet the applicable WCAG contrast thresholds for text and meaningful interface components.
- Never use color as the only way to communicate status, instructions or errors.
- Provide accurate captions for prerecorded video with speech and the other media alternatives required by the target level.
Keyboard, focus and motion
- Reach and operate every interactive element with the keyboard alone.
- Keep keyboard focus visible and in a sequence that matches the task.
- Ensure menus, dialogs and custom controls do not trap focus or lose the user's place.
- Provide a way to bypass repeated navigation and reach the main content.
- Allow users to pause or stop moving content, and respect reduced-motion preferences where appropriate.
Forms, errors, zoom and mobile
- Give every field a persistent programmatic label and clear instructions.
- Identify errors in text, move or announce focus appropriately, and explain how to fix them.
- Expose dynamic status messages to assistive technology without forcing a focus change.
- At 200% zoom and narrow viewport, preserve content and functions without avoidable two-dimensional scrolling.
- Make pointer targets usable, provide alternatives to complex gestures and test orientation changes.
How should a team use this checklist?
Record the page, component, task, observed behavior and impact for each failure. Fix shared templates and components before isolated instances. Then run automation across the site and perform a representative manual evaluation, including disabled users for critical tasks.
Retest after changes. Accessibility is a product practice: content, design, code, procurement and release management all affect whether a site stays usable.
Frequently asked questions
- Does passing this checklist prove WCAG conformance?
No. It is a preliminary review of common barriers, not a test of every applicable WCAG success criterion.
- Which pages should I check first?
Start with the home page, major templates and critical tasks such as registration, checkout, applications, account access and support.
- Should I use an automated checker too?
Yes. Automation adds broad, repeatable coverage, but it should be combined with manual and user evaluation.
Sources
- W3C WAI, Easy Checks – A First Review of Web Accessibility
- ADA.gov, Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA
- W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2
- W3C WAI, What's New in WCAG 2.2
- W3C WAI, Involving Users in Evaluating Web Accessibility
Sources were checked on August 21, 2026. Regulations, standards and product documentation can change; follow the linked source for the latest version.