A Shopify accessibility audit identifies the barriers that stop customers with disabilities from browsing, choosing products and completing checkout on your store. We test by hand with keyboard navigation and screen readers, map every issue to WCAG, and give you a prioritised plan to fix it.
Our Shopify accessibility audit services combine automated scanning with manual testing across your theme, apps and customer journeys. This page covers the audit itself. If you also want the issues fixed, we provide Shopify WCAG compliance and remediation in your theme code and retest the work, or you can hand the report to your own developer. Selling in the US? See our Shopify ADA compliance service.
Request a free Shopify accessibility audit. You get a recorded walkthrough of your homepage within 24 hours.
Shopify Accessibility Audit Services: Pricing
Start with a free manual audit. If accessibility issues are found, we can fix them natively in your Shopify theme.
Starter Audit + Fix
Quick audit and fixes for your homepage and key pages.
- Free manual accessibility audit
- Automated + manual accessibility review
- Homepage accessibility check
- Basic WCAG issue list
- Image alt text review
- Button and link accessibility fixes
- Basic keyboard navigation check
- Before/after summary
Core Audit + Remediation
Comprehensive audit and fixes across your entire Shopify store. Most popular choice for real accessibility.
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Automated + manual WCAG review
- Homepage remediation
- Product page review and fixes
- Collection page review and fixes
- Header/navigation accessibility fixes
- Search and cart drawer review
- Alt text optimization
- Form label review
- Keyboard-only testing
- NVDA testing on fixed areas
- Post-fix verification summary
Full Manual Audit + Accessibility Sprint
Complete audit with deep-dive remediation and documentation across entire store.
- Everything in Core Audit, plus:
- Full site template audit
- Automated + manual testing
- Homepage, product, collection templates
- Cart, search, contact, account pages
- Forms and checkout entry-point review
- Navigation, filters, modals review
- Dynamic element accessibility
- Color contrast review and fixes
- Product gallery accessibility review
- Accessibility statement guidance
- Post-fix validation report
- 30 days of post-audit support
Why Manual Audits Matter
Automated accessibility scanners catch only 30-40% of real accessibility problems. Our manual audits combine automated testing with human expertise to find real usability issues that affect your customers. We test with actual screen readers and keyboard navigation to understand the real user experience.
- Find issues automated tools miss
- Real screen reader testing
- Keyboard-only navigation testing
- True WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA compliance assessment
- Understand actual user impact
Start With A Free Manual Audit
All plans include a free manual accessibility audit. We'll review your store and provide honest recommendations for remediation. No pressure, no obligation.
Schedule Your Free AuditNot sure which plan is right for you? Start with a free manual audit to understand your baseline. View our full pricing →
What Is a Shopify Accessibility Audit?
A Shopify accessibility audit is a structured evaluation of your store against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA, the standard referenced in ADA cases. It covers navigation, product pages, collections, search and filters, forms, the cart drawer and the checkout path, and it is carried out by a person using assistive technology rather than by a scanner alone. Automated tools catch roughly a third of real issues; the rest need human testing.
What Our Shopify Accessibility Audit Includes
Manual Screen Reader Testing
We test your entire Shopify store with VoiceOver (Mac) and NVDA (Windows) screen readers and the exact same assistive technologies your blind customers use to shop online. This reveals issues automated scanners can't detect: unclear link text that says "click here" instead of describing the destination, missing ARIA landmarks that make navigation confusing, product descriptions that screen readers read in the wrong order, and images that have alt text but the text is gibberish or keyword stuffing.
We navigate through your homepage, browse product collections, read product pages, add items to cart, and attempt checkout with all using only screen reader audio cues. This shows us exactly how blind customers experience your store and where they get frustrated or stuck.
Keyboard Navigation Audit
Many customers can't use a mouse due to motor disabilities like arthritis, tremors, or paralysis. They navigate websites using only a keyboard: Tab key to move between elements, Enter to click, Escape to close modals. We test your entire Shopify store using keyboard-only navigation to identify critical issues.
Common keyboard navigation problems we find in Shopify stores include:
- Focus traps in cart drawers where users can't escape without a mouse
- Dropdown menus that don't work with keyboard controls
- Invisible focus indicators so users don't know where they are on the page
- Illogical tab order that jumps randomly around the page
- Modals that trap keyboard focus and can't be closed with the Escape key
We document every keyboard navigation failure and provide specific fixes for your theme's code.
Color Contrast Analysis
We test every text and background color combination on your site against WCAG's minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This ensures customers with low vision, color blindness, or anyone viewing your store in bright sunlight can actually read your content. For examples of what fails and how it is fixed, read our guide to color contrast accessibility for Shopify stores.
Color contrast issues are extremely common in Shopify themes, especially with light gray text on white backgrounds (common in product descriptions), colored text on colored backgrounds (often used for sale badges), small font sizes combined with low contrast (buttons and links), and hover states that reduce contrast instead of improving it.
We use professional tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker and Colour Contrast Analyser to measure exact ratios, and we test with color blindness simulators to verify your store works for users with protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia.
WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA Compliance Report
You receive a comprehensive report mapping every accessibility issue we found to specific WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA success criteria. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 Level AA is the international standard for web accessibility and the legal requirement under ADA Title III.
Our report includes:
- The specific WCAG criterion violated (e.g., 1.1.1 Non-text Content, 2.1.1 Keyboard, 1.4.3 Contrast)
- The severity level (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Where the issue occurs on your site (specific pages and elements)
- Why it matters for users and legal compliance
- Detailed instructions for fixing it in your Shopify theme
This report serves as both your remediation roadmap and your documentation of due diligence if you ever face an accessibility claim.
Prioritized Remediation Roadmap
Not all accessibility issues carry the same risk or impact. Some violations are critical legal liabilities that could trigger lawsuits (like a completely inaccessible checkout). Others are medium-priority improvements that enhance user experience but won't necessarily result in legal action. We prioritize every issue so you know exactly what to fix first.
Our prioritization considers: legal risk (does this violate ADA requirements?), user impact (how many customers does this affect?), severity (does this prevent task completion?), and fix complexity (can this be resolved quickly or does it require major development?).
You get a clear action plan: fix these 5 critical issues in the next week, address these 10 high priority items within a month, and schedule these medium-priority improvements for your next theme update.
Personalized Loom Video Walkthrough
Technical reports are useful, but seeing the actual issues in action is far more powerful. We record a personalized Loom screen-share video (typically 10-15 minutes) demonstrating the accessibility barriers we found on your store.
In the video, you'll watch us navigate your store with a screen reader, showing you exactly what your blind customers hear (and don't hear). We'll demonstrate keyboard navigation failures, show color contrast issues side-by-side with WCAG-compliant alternatives, and walk through your checkout process highlighting where customers get stuck.
This video helps you see accessibility as more than legal compliance: these are real barriers affecting real people who are trying to give you their money. We explain everything in plain language without technical jargon, so you and your team can make informed decisions about fixes.
Shopify Specific Element Testing
We specialize exclusively in Shopify, which means we test accessibility issues unique to the platform that generic auditors miss. This includes:
- Slide-out cart drawers (notorious for focus traps)
- Product variant selectors (color swatches and dropdown menus often lack proper labels)
- Ajax add-to-cart functionality (screen readers don't always announce when items are added)
- Collection filtering and sorting (keyboard navigation often fails)
- Quick view modals (frequently trap focus)
- Mega menus and dropdown navigation (Shopify themes implement these differently)
- The checkout flow (as much as Shopify allows customization Shopify Plus offers more control)
We understand Shopify's Liquid templating language, how themes are structured, and where accessibility issues typically hide in Shopify code. This expertise means we catch issues other auditors miss and provide fixes that actually work within Shopify's constraints.
Our Shopify Accessibility Audit Process
Every audit follows the same six stages. It starts with a free homepage review, and you decide whether to proceed once you have seen what we found.
Manual accessibility audit
We work through your store using a keyboard only, then with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS and iOS. We test complete journeys, not isolated pages: finding a product, choosing a variant, adding to cart and reaching checkout.
Automated testing
axe, WAVE and Lighthouse run across your templates for fast coverage of machine-detectable problems such as missing alt attributes, contrast failures and empty links. Nothing enters your report on a tool's say-so; every automated finding is confirmed by hand.
WCAG issue identification
Each issue is mapped to a specific WCAG success criterion by number and level, with the page, element and steps to reproduce it. That mapping is what turns a list of problems into Shopify WCAG compliance work you can act on.
Theme, app and JavaScript testing
Shopify stores break in predictable places. We test theme customisations, every installed app that renders on the storefront, and dynamic JavaScript components such as the cart drawer, quick-view modals, filters and variant selectors.
Remediation recommendations
Findings are ranked by how much each one blocks a real customer, with a recommended fix for every issue and code where it helps. Your developer can work from the report, or we can carry out the remediation ourselves.
Retesting
After fixes are made, we retest using the same method that found each issue and give you a written record of what was verified. A keyboard failure is retested by keyboard, not by scanner.
The full detail of each stage, including what the process does not cover, is published on our audit methodology page.
Shopify WCAG Remediation Services
An audit tells you what is wrong. Remediation fixes it. If you would rather not hand the report to a developer, our Shopify WCAG remediation service implements the fixes for you.
What we fix
- Keyboard traps and focus management
- Missing labels and accessible names
- Colour contrast failures
- Cart drawer and checkout path barriers
- Heading structure and landmarks
- App-introduced issues where fixable
How we work
- Fixes made in your theme's own code
- No overlay widget or recurring script
- Theme duplicated first, live store untouched
- Nothing published until you approve it
- Every fix retested before sign-off
- Written record of what changed
Remediation is quoted after the audit, based on what we actually find. Typical engagements run 3 to 10 business days. For the underlying approach, see native code accessibility.
Request a Shopify Accessibility Audit
Start with a free homepage audit. You get a recorded walkthrough within 24 hours showing exactly where a customer gets stuck.
Request a Shopify accessibility auditWhy Manual Testing Beats Automated Scanners
Automated accessibility scanners can only detect about 30-40% of WCAG violations. They're useful for catching technical issues like missing alt attributes, insufficient color contrast, or invalid HTML but they completely miss contextual, experiential, and user flow issues that require human evaluation.
A scanner might detect that an image has alt text, but it can't tell if that alt text is meaningful ("Blue cotton t-shirt, front view") or useless ("IMG_5847" or keyword spam). It can check that headings exist, but not if they're in a logical order that makes sense to screen reader users. It can verify that buttons are keyboard-accessible, but not if the focus order is completely illogical, jumping randomly around the page.
Manual testing with real assistive technologies is the only way to experience your store the way your customers with disabilities do. When we navigate your Shopify store with VoiceOver, we discover problems automated tools miss: confusing navigation where screen readers announce items in the wrong order, forms that don't clearly announce errors, product variant selectors that screen readers can't interpret, cart drawers that trap keyboard focus with no escape, and checkout flows that make no sense when navigating linearly.
Here's exactly what automated scanners miss:
| What We Test | Automated Scanner | Our Manual Audit |
|---|---|---|
| Missing alt text | ✓ Detects missing alt attribute | ✓ Detects + evaluates if alt text is actually descriptive |
| Color contrast | ✓ Calculates contrast ratios | ✓ Tests with low vision simulation + color blindness filters |
| Keyboard navigation | ✗ Cannot test actual usability | ✓ Full keyboard-only testing across entire site |
| Screen reader experience | ✗ Cannot evaluate audio output | ✓ Navigate entire store with VoiceOver + NVDA |
| Form usability | ⚠ Checks for labels only | ✓ Tests error messages, validation, field relationships |
| Heading structure | ⚠ Detects heading hierarchy | ✓ Evaluates logical flow and meaning for navigation |
| Focus management | ✗ Cannot test visual indicators | ✓ Tests focus visibility, tab order, focus traps |
| Cart/Checkout flow | ⚠ Very limited testing | ✓ Full end-to-end transaction testing |
| Context and meaning | ✗ No understanding of context | ✓ Human evaluation of actual user experience |
| ARIA implementation | ⚠ Checks ARIA syntax only | ✓ Tests if ARIA actually improves screen reader UX |
The bottom line: Automated scanners are useful tools for catching low hanging fruit, but they can't replace human testing. If you only run automated scans, you'll miss 60-70% of the real accessibility barriers on your site which means you're still at legal risk and still excluding customers.
Real Results: $12,000 Monthly Revenue Recovered
The Problem: Cart Abandonment Mystery
A fashion retailer selling premium activewear came to us after noticing unusually high cart abandonment rates. Their analytics showed customers were adding items to their cart but not proceeding to checkout. The abandonment rate was 78%, well above the e-commerce average of 69%.
They had tried typical conversion rate optimization tactics and exit intent popups, abandoned cart email campaigns, free shipping thresholds but nothing moved the needle. That's when they requested our accessibility audit.
The Discovery: Keyboard Navigation Trap
Our audit revealed a critical accessibility failure in their slide-out cart drawer. When customers clicked "Add to Cart," a drawer slid in from the right side of the screen showing cart contents. The drawer had a small "X" button in the top corner to close it, but that button was only accessible by mouse click.
Customers navigating with keyboards (this includes blind users with screen readers, which use keyboard commands) would trigger the cart drawer, but then have no way to close it or navigate to the checkout button. The Tab key would cycle through cart items endlessly, but never reach the close button or the checkout button. The Escape key did nothing. These users were stuck and they couldn't complete their purchase.
We estimated that 8-12% of their traffic was affected: people using keyboards by necessity (motor disabilities) or preference (power users), screen reader users, and mobile users whose touch gestures weren't properly mapped to keyboard events.
The Impact: Revenue and Risk Reduction
Within two weeks of launching the fixes, the store's cart abandonment rate dropped from 78% to 70%, An 8 point improvement. With their average monthly traffic of 45,000 visitors and average order value of $89, this translated to approximately $12,000 in additional monthly revenue from customers who could now complete checkout.
Just as importantly, the client received zero accessibility complaints or demand letters in the 18 months following remediation. Before our work, they'd received three accessibility demand letters in the prior 12 months, each threatening litigation. Those disappeared completely after achieving WCAG compliance.
After your audit, you may want our ADA compliance service to fix violations and protect against lawsuits.
Shopify Accessibility Audit FAQs
Q: Is a Shopify ADA compliance audit different from a WCAG audit?
A: In practice they are the same test. The ADA does not name a technical standard, so a Shopify ADA compliance audit measures your store against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA, which is the standard courts reference.
Q: Do you fix the issues, or only report them?
A: Either. Your developer can work from the report, or our Shopify WCAG remediation service implements the fixes in your theme code and retests them before sign-off.
Q: How much does a Shopify accessibility audit cost?
A: The first homepage audit is free and comes as a recorded walkthrough. Packages that combine the audit with fixes start at $399 and are listed in the pricing section above. If you want a full-store audit without remediation, we scope it by the number of templates and apps in your store.
Q: How long does a Shopify accessibility audit take?
A: Our standard audit takes 3-5 business days for most Shopify stores (single storefront, under 50 products, standard theme structure). Larger stores with 100+ products, multiple storefronts, custom apps, or heavily customized themes may take 7-10 business days. Extremely complex enterprise stores can take 2-3 weeks.
Q: Do you use automated tools or test manually?
A: Both. We believe the best audits combine automated efficiency with human evaluation. We use automated scanners (Axe, WAVE, Lighthouse) to catch technical violations like missing alt attributes, invalid HTML, and color contrast failures. This gives us a baseline and identifies low hanging fruit.
But the majority of our audit time is spent on manual testing that automated tools can't replicate: navigating your entire store with VoiceOver (Mac) and NVDA (Windows) screen readers, testing keyboard only navigation across all pages and interactions, evaluating heading structure and reading order, testing forms with screen readers to verify error announcements, and assessing your checkout flow for barriers.
Q: I already have an Accessibility Widget installed. Do I still need an audit?
A: Yes, absolutely and this is critical to understand. Accessibility overlay widgets like don't fix your store's underlying code issues. They add a JavaScript layer on top of your broken code, attempting to override accessibility problems in the browser.
The problem? These widgets are frequently cited in accessibility lawsuits because they don't provide real WCAG compliance. Plaintiffs' attorneys know that stores with widgets installed still have inaccessible code underneath. In fact, some law firms specifically target stores with widgets because it demonstrates the store owner was aware of accessibility but chose a band aid solution instead of fixing the real problems.
We also offer a dedicated Widget Removal service where we safely deactivate your overlay and replace it with permanent native code fixes.
Q: Will this work with my custom Shopify theme?
A: Yes. We've audited hundreds of Shopify stores across every theme imaginable: popular themes like Dawn, Debut, Brooklyn, Prestige, Empire, and Impulse; premium third party themes from Out of the Sandbox, Archetype, Pipeline, and others; and completely custom coded themes built by agencies or in house developers.
We're experts in Shopify's Liquid templating language and understand how themes are architectured. We know where accessibility issues typically hide in theme code, how different themes implement navigation and filtering, and what trade offs different theme frameworks make.
Q: Is this a one time audit or ongoing monitoring?
A: Our audit is one time by default, but we offer optional ongoing monitoring through our Custom/Enterprise plan. After we audit and remediate your store's accessibility issues, those fixes are permanent and they remain in your theme code unless you change your theme, install new apps, or add new features.
However, stores that frequently update their theme, add new apps, launch new features, or have compliance requirements that mandate regular testing may benefit from ongoing monitoring.
Q: What if my store "fails" the audit?
A: There's no "pass" or "fail" as we don't grade stores like a school exam. Literally every Shopify store has accessibility issues before remediation and we've yet to audit a store with zero violations. Even stores that think they're accessible usually have 20-50 issues we discover during manual testing.
Our job isn't to judge your current state; it's to identify exactly what needs to be fixed, prioritize issues by severity and legal risk, and give you a clear path to compliance.
Q: Do you test the Shopify checkout?
A: Yes, we test as much of the checkout as Shopify allows customization. Here's the nuance: Shopify's checkout is partially locked to maintain PCI compliance and fraud prevention. Standard Shopify plans have limited checkout customization options. Shopify Plus merchants have more control with checkout.liquid customization.
We document all checkout accessibility issues we find and clearly indicate which issues are within your control to fix and which are Shopify's responsibility to address. Learn more about our Checkout Accessibility service.
Q: Will accessibility fixes change how my store looks?
A: Rarely. The vast majority of accessibility fixes are invisible to sighted users and they improve the underlying code without changing visual design. Examples include: adding alt text to images (invisible to sighted users, critical for screen readers), adding ARIA labels to buttons (doesn't change appearance), fixing heading hierarchy (same visual design, better semantic structure), and improving keyboard navigation (no visual change until someone presses Tab).
The few changes that do affect visual design are usually improvements for everyone: increasing color contrast makes text easier to read for all users, adding visible focus indicators helps keyboard users see where they are on the page, and enlarging touch targets makes buttons easier to tap on mobile devices.
Who Needs a Shopify Accessibility Audit?
An audit is the right first step when you do not yet know what is wrong. The usual reasons merchants ask for one:
- You have received a demand letter, or want to reduce risk in the US. The audit feeds directly into Shopify ADA compliance work.
- You sell to consumers in the EU and need to know where you stand under the European Accessibility Act.
- A school, government or enterprise buyer has asked for documentation. Our VPAT and ACR report services turn testing into a formal conformance report.
- You are planning a theme change, redesign or new app and want a baseline first.
Related Shopify Accessibility Services
Shopify WCAG Compliance
Testing and remediation against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA across your whole store.
Shopify ADA Compliance
A Shopify ADA compliance audit and remediation programme for stores selling in the US.
Native Code Accessibility
Fixes written into your theme's Liquid, CSS and JavaScript rather than layered on with a widget.
Shopify Checkout Accessibility
The cart drawer, cart page and checkout path, tested and fixed as one complete journey.
EAA Compliance for Ecommerce
What the European Accessibility Act requires of stores selling to EU customers, and how to comply.
VPAT and ACR Report Services
A formal accessibility conformance report for buyers who require one.
Request a Shopify Accessibility Audit
Find out exactly where your store stands before you spend anything on remediation.
Request our free mini audit and receive a personalized Loom video within 24 hours showing exactly what screen readers experience when navigating your homepage. We'll demonstrate real accessibility issues, explain why they matter, and show you what blind customers hear (and don't hear) when they visit your site.
No credit card required, no obligation. Just an honest assessment from a team that works exclusively with Shopify stores.
Request Your Free AuditOr view our full service pricing if you're ready to move forward with a complete audit and remediation.