BigCommerce WCAG 2.1 Checker

WCAG 2.1 for BigCommerce Sites

WCAG 2.1 became a W3C Recommendation in June 2018. It added criteria for mobile, low vision and cognitive accessibility to WCAG 2.0, and it is the standard named in the US Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites, in EN 301 549 V3.2.1 and in most accessibility settlements.

This checker runs the free scan with the WCAG 2.1 AA preset, so the results match the standard your contract, policy or regulator is most likely to name for a BigCommerce site.

On BigCommerce stores, WCAG 2.1 issues show up in checkout and account forms (missing autocomplete), faint input borders and swatch outlines (non-text contrast), and cart updates that are not announced (status messages).

Who Should Run the BigCommerce WCAG 2.1 Checker

• BigCommerce site owners whose contracts or policies name WCAG 2.1 AA.
• State and local government bodies, under the ADA Title II rule.
• Businesses responding to an ADA demand letter, which usually cites WCAG 2.1 AA.
• Public sector bodies in the EU, under the Web Accessibility Directive.

WCAG 2.1 Criteria That Often Fail on BigCommerce

• 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose

  Form fields that collect personal data, such as name, email and address, need the right autocomplete attribute.

• 1.4.10 Reflow

  Content must reflow at 320 CSS pixels wide, the same as 400% zoom, without scrolling in two directions.

• 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast

  Buttons, form borders, icons and focus indicators need a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

• 1.4.12 Text Spacing

  Text must stay readable when users increase line, paragraph, letter and word spacing.

• 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus

  Tooltips and menus that appear on hover or focus must be dismissible, hoverable and stay visible.

• 4.1.3 Status Messages

  Messages such as “added to cart” or form errors must be announced to screen readers without moving focus.

Where BigCommerce Sites Usually Fail WCAG 2.1

These problems come up again and again on BigCommerce sites, and each one fails WCAG 2.1. The BigCommerce accessibility checker explains how to fix them in BigCommerce.

• 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.

Worried about ADA claims as well? The BigCommerce ADA compliance checker covers the BigCommerce risks behind most complaints.

What to Test by Hand on BigCommerce

Automated testing finds many, but not all, WCAG 2.1 failures. Check these yourself after the scan:

1. Zoom to 400% and check nothing is cut off or needs scrolling in two directions (1.4.10).
2. Apply increased text spacing with a bookmarklet and check text is still readable (1.4.12).
3. Open hover menus and tooltips and check you can dismiss them with Escape (1.4.13).
4. Rescan after each fix. Continuous monitoring rescans up to 500 URLs per domain daily and keeps a dated record in the Compliance Vault.

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Related Guides

• WCAG 2.1 AA CheckerThe WCAG 2.1 standard in full, for any website.
• 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 criterion the scan flags, in plain language.

BigCommerce WCAG 2.1 Checker: Frequently Asked Questions