HubSpot CMS Accessibility Checker

Accessibility on HubSpot CMS

HubSpot CMS Hub is built for marketing teams. Pages are assembled from themes, drag-and-drop areas and modules, with HubSpot forms, CTAs, meeting links and a chat widget connected to the CRM. Marketers can change a lot of a page’s output without a developer.

That speed is why issues creep in: a new landing page copied from an old one, a form restyled to hide labels, a banner image added without alt text. And because the tools are connected, one form or pop-up embedded across dozens of landing pages repeats its problems everywhere.

HubSpot publishes its own web accessibility checklist, covering alt text, form labels, keyboard access and heading structure. Those same requirements apply to every page, theme, module and embedded form on your HubSpot website. (opens in a new tab, source: HubSpot Blog: web accessibility guidelines)

Common Accessibility Issues on HubSpot CMS Sites

• Forms with placeholder-only fields

  HubSpot forms output labels by default, but many are hidden or restyled so the placeholder is the only guide, which disappears when someone starts typing.

• CTA buttons and image CTAs

  Image-based call-to-action buttons without alt text, and several "Learn more" buttons on one page, give screen reader users no way to tell them apart.

• Pop-ups and slide-in forms

  Pop-up forms, banners and the cookie notice can open without moving focus into them, and can cover content when a keyboard user tabs to it.

• Chat and meetings embeds

  The chat bubble and embedded meeting scheduler load as widgets and iframes outside your theme, with their own focus and naming problems.

• Module and landing page content

  Heavy use of modules in flexible columns leads to skipped heading levels, repeated link text and decorative images read aloud as content.

How AccessBell Scans Your HubSpot CMS Site

1. Enter any public page. Paste the address of a page on your HubSpot CMS 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 HubSpot CMS 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. Keep form labels visible, and give each form field a clear name; fix this once in the form or theme, and every page that uses the form is corrected.
2. Write button text that says what the button does, such as "Download the pricing guide", so repeated buttons can be told apart.
3. Scan new landing pages before you send traffic to them, and rescan after theme changes, new forms and new pop-up campaigns.
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 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions explained simply: visible labels, format hints, grouped fields and required markers, 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.
• WCAG 3.2.2 On Input Explained in Plain EnglishWCAG 3.2.2 On Input explained simply: what counts as a change of context, who it helps, how to meet it with examples and code, and how to test your forms.
• WCAG Success Criteria LibraryLook up any success criterion the scan flags, in plain language.
• HubSpot CMS ADA Compliance CheckerThe same scan with the ADA preset, plus the ADA risks specific to HubSpot CMS sites.
• Free Accessibility Statement GeneratorPublish a statement once your HubSpot CMS site's known issues are fixed.

HubSpot CMS Accessibility — Frequently Asked Questions