What it is
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard. Version 2.2 at level AA is what most laws and policies point to. It covers things like text contrast, text alternatives for images, labelled form fields, keyboard access and visible focus.
Some of these can be checked automatically; many can't. Crawlable runs the automated checks, which reliably catch common problems, and is clear that a high score isn't proof the page meets WCAG.
Why it matters
A lot of your visitors need it
Many people live with a disability that affects how they use the web, and many more have a temporary injury, ageing eyes, a cracked phone screen or bright sunlight. An inaccessible page turns all of them away.
It's often a legal requirement
The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 2025 to many products and services sold in the EU, including online shops. In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act is regularly applied to websites, and lawsuits over inaccessible sites are common.
It helps machines too
Alt text, real headings, labelled buttons and descriptive links make a page easier for search engines and AI tools to understand, as well as for screen readers.
It makes the site better for everyone
Readable contrast, clear labels and buttons big enough to tap help every visitor, and an easier site is one more people finish using.
What Crawlable checks
- Lighthouse accessibility score
- Google Lighthouse's accessibility score for the mobile page, from the axe-core rules it runs. This is the Accessibility dial in your report.
- WCAG 2.2 mapping
- Each failed rule matched to the WCAG 2.2 level A or AA success criterion it breaks, with the elements that fail it.
- Text contrast
- Whether text stands out enough from its background: at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Names and labels
- Whether images have alt text, and whether form fields, buttons and links have names a screen reader can announce.
- Structure
- Whether the page declares its language and uses headings, lists and landmarks properly.
- Tap targets
- Whether buttons and links are big enough, and far enough apart, to tap reliably.
Common problems and how to fix them
Low-contrast text
Icon-only buttons with no name
<button aria-label="Open menu">, or visually hidden text inside it.Form fields without labels
<label> linked with for and id. Placeholder text isn't a label: it disappears when someone starts typing.Links that say "click here" or "read more"
Questions
If my accessibility score is 100, does my site meet WCAG?
Not necessarily. Automated rules can only test what a machine can confirm. To meet WCAG 2.2 AA, also check by hand that everything works with a keyboard alone, focus is always visible and moves in a sensible order, and a screen reader announces each control properly.
Does accessibility affect my SEO?
Not directly as a ranking score, but many accessibility fixes, such as alt text, a sensible heading structure and descriptive links, also help search engines and AI tools understand the page.
What's the difference between WCAG levels A, AA and AAA?
Level A covers the most basic requirements, AA adds the ones most laws and policies require, and AAA is the strictest. AA is the usual target; AAA isn't expected for whole sites.