BigCommerce Accessibility Checker

Accessibility on BigCommerce

BigCommerce storefronts are built from Stencil themes, written in Handlebars, with Page Builder widgets and scripts added from apps. Many stores start from the default Cornerstone theme, which BigCommerce updates for accessibility. A store that has been restyled, or that runs a marketplace theme, can lose much of that work.

The pages that matter most to a store are also the most customized: product pages with option swatches, category pages with faceted filters, the cart preview and the checkout. Each is a place where one missing label or one focus trap stops a purchase.

BigCommerce publishes guidance for building accessible Stencil themes and describes the WCAG levels its default Cornerstone theme targets. Custom themes, marketplace themes and the apps you add are not covered by that work. (opens in a new tab, source: BigCommerce Developer Docs: WCAG compliance levels)

Common Accessibility Issues on BigCommerce Sites

• Product options and swatches

  Swatch and radio-style options that are restyled with CSS can lose their visible focus ring or their label, so shoppers cannot tell which option is selected.

• Faceted search filters

  Filter lists on category and search pages update the results without telling screen reader users how many products remain, and collapsible filter groups often ignore the keyboard.

• Quick view and cart preview dialogs

  Modal windows that do not take focus when they open, or do not return it when closed, strand keyboard users behind them.

• Script Manager additions

  Chat widgets, cookie banners, review badges and pop-ups added through Script Manager load on every page, so one inaccessible script affects the whole store.

• Images in Page Builder

  Banners and promotional tiles added in Page Builder with no alt text, or with text baked into the image, hide offers from screen reader users.

How AccessBell Scans Your BigCommerce Site

1. Enter any public page. Paste the address of a page on your BigCommerce site into the scanner above. There is nothing to install: no plugin, no code snippet and no login.
2. We load it in a real browser. AccessBell opens the page in headless Chrome and runs its scripts, so it tests what your visitors actually see, including content added by your theme, apps or plugins.
3. We run the WCAG rules. The open-source axe-core engine checks the page against the standard you choose, and every result is mapped to the WCAG success criteria it affects.
4. You see what is wrong in seconds. The free scan lists every issue it finds, ranked by severity, with the WCAG criteria each one fails. Start a free trial to get the failing code and the fix for each one. Our methodology explains exactly what runs and what still needs a person.

What You Get From the Free Scan and the Free Trial

Free, with no account

• 63 automated rules for WCAG 2.2 Level AA, or presets for WCAG 2.1 AA, the ADA, Section 508 and EN 301 549
• Every issue found on the page, ranked by severity from critical to minor
• The WCAG success criteria each issue fails, which you can look up in our WCAG library

With a 3-day free trial

• The failing HTML, so you can find the element in your BigCommerce editor or code
• How to fix each issue, with a corrected example
• Every page scanned, up to 500 per domain, with daily monitoring and an email when something breaks
• A list of checks that need a person to review, so nothing is missed
• A dated record of your scans and fixes

Start 3-day free trial

How to Fix What the Scan Finds

1. If you run a custom Stencil theme, fix issues in the theme templates once, so every product and category page gets the correction.
2. Check the app and script behind each issue before editing the theme. A problem that comes from an app needs a fix or a replacement from the app vendor.
3. Most of the checkout is controlled by BigCommerce, so focus your own fixes on the theme, content and scripts, and report checkout problems to BigCommerce.
4. Run a free scan above on your homepage and a few key pages, fix issues starting with critical and serious, then rescan to confirm.
5. For ongoing protection, AccessBell Pro monitors up to 500 URLs per domain every day and alerts you when a theme, app or plugin update introduces a new issue.

Related Guides

• WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content explained simply: how to write alt text for every kind of image, icon, chart and CAPTCHA, with code examples and a test routine.
• WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value explained simply: give every control a name, role and state with native HTML and ARIA, with code examples and how to test.
• Keyboard Accessibility TestingA practical guide to keyboard accessibility testing: what to check, the exact keys to use, and a component-by-component reference table mapped to WCAG.
• WCAG Success Criteria LibraryLook up any success criterion the scan flags, in plain language.
• BigCommerce ADA Compliance CheckerThe same scan with the ADA preset, plus the ADA risks specific to BigCommerce sites.
• Free Accessibility Statement GeneratorPublish a statement once your BigCommerce site's known issues are fixed.

BigCommerce Accessibility — Frequently Asked Questions