Ghost EN 301 549 Checker

EN 301 549 for Ghost Sites

EN 301 549 is the European standard for accessible information and communication technology. For websites, its clause 9 reuses WCAG: version 3.2.1 uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and version 4.1.1, published in September 2026 for the European Accessibility Act, uses WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

The European Accessibility Act has applied to e-commerce and other consumer services since June 28, 2025, wherever the business is based. This checker runs the scan with the EN 301 549 preset, which tests the WCAG 2.1 AA web requirements. Run the Ghost WCAG 2.2 checker as well to cover version 4.1.1.

On Ghost sites run by EU public bodies or businesses, EN 301 549 covers the theme, plugins, PDFs and each language version. Cookie consent banners and language switchers are frequent sources of failures.

Who Should Run the Ghost EN 301 549 Checker

• Ghost businesses that sell products or services to consumers in the EU.
• Public sector bodies in the EU running a site on Ghost.
• Vendors selling software or services to EU public bodies.
• Non-EU companies with EU customers, since the EAA follows the customer.

EN 301 549 Requirements to Check on Ghost

• 1.4.10 Reflow

  Pages must reflow on a narrow screen without scrolling in two directions.

• 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast

  Controls, icons and focus indicators need 3:1 contrast.

• 3.1.1 Language of Page

  Each page must declare its language, which matters on multilingual EU sites.

• 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions

  Form fields, including checkout and consent forms, need visible labels or instructions.

• 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

  Custom controls such as cookie consent switches need a name, role and state.

• 4.1.3 Status Messages

  Status messages, such as cart updates and form errors, must be announced.

Where Ghost Sites Usually Fail EN 301 549

These problems come up again and again on Ghost sites, and each one fails EN 301 549. The Ghost accessibility checker explains how to fix them in Ghost.

• Image and gallery card alt text. Images dropped into posts with no alt text, or with a caption standing in for it, and gallery cards where each image needs its own description.
• Heading structure in long posts. The post title is the page heading, so writers should start at h2. Bold text used as a heading and skipped levels break the outline of long articles.
• Embeds and bookmark cards. Embedded videos, social posts and podcasts load in iframes that need titles, and bookmark cards can produce several links with the same text.
• Membership portal and subscribe forms. The signup and subscribe forms, the portal pop-up and the announcement bar add fields, buttons and overlays that need labels and keyboard handling.
• Theme contrast and navigation. Light gray metadata, pale tag links and dark-mode color swaps often fall below the contrast minimum, and mobile navigation toggles lack a name.

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

What to Test by Hand on Ghost

Automated testing finds many, but not all, EN 301 549 failures. Check these yourself after the scan:

1. Check every language version, including the page language setting (3.1.1).
2. Test the cookie consent banner with a keyboard and screen reader.
3. Publish accessibility information for your service, as the EAA requires.
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

• EN 301 549 CheckerThe EN 301 549 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 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence explained simply: why reading order matters, how CSS and layout tables break it, how to fix it and how to test your pages.
• WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) explained simply: the 4.5:1 and 3:1 ratios, what counts as large text, the exceptions, fixes and how to test your colors.
• WCAG Success Criteria LibraryLook up any criterion the scan flags, in plain language.

Ghost EN 301 549 Checker: Frequently Asked Questions