WCAG 2.1 for Shopify 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 Shopify site.
On Shopify 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).
| Published | June 5, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Success criteria at Level A and AA | 50 |
| Added to WCAG 2.0 at Level A and AA | 12 |
| Referenced by | ADA Title II rule, EN 301 549 V3.2.1 |
| Automated rules in this scan | 62 |
Who Should Run the Shopify WCAG 2.1 Checker
- Shopify 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 Shopify
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1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose
Form fields that collect personal data, such as name, email and address, need the right autocomplete attribute.
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1.4.10 Reflow
Content must reflow at 320 CSS pixels wide, the same as 400% zoom, without scrolling in two directions.
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1.4.11 Non-text Contrast
Buttons, form borders, icons and focus indicators need a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
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1.4.12 Text Spacing
Text must stay readable when users increase line, paragraph, letter and word spacing.
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1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus
Tooltips and menus that appear on hover or focus must be dismissible, hoverable and stay visible.
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4.1.3 Status Messages
Messages such as “added to cart” or form errors must be announced to screen readers without moving focus.
Where Shopify Sites Usually Fail WCAG 2.1
These problems come up again and again on Shopify sites, and each one fails WCAG 2.1. The Shopify accessibility checker explains how to fix them in Shopify.
- Missing or generic product alt text. Alt text failures are consistently the single most common issue on e-commerce sites; a store with 500 products and 4 images each has 2,000 separate places it can go wrong.
- Keyboard traps in cart and checkout. Customers who cannot use a mouse are frequently unable to complete a purchase because the cart drawer or checkout flow does not support keyboard navigation.
- Broken heading structure on collection pages. Product collection and category pages often skip heading levels or use styled text instead of real headings, confusing screen reader navigation.
- Unaudited third-party apps. Reviews, upsell, chat and marketing apps inject their own HTML and JavaScript that can silently break keyboard access or screen reader labeling on every page they run on.
- Mobile menu apps. Apps that replace Shopify’s default navigation with a custom mobile menu often lose the keyboard and screen reader support the original theme had.
Worried about ADA claims as well? The Shopify ADA compliance checker covers the Shopify risks behind most complaints.
What to Test by Hand on Shopify
Automated testing finds many, but not all, WCAG 2.1 failures. Check these yourself after the scan:
- Zoom to 400% and check nothing is cut off or needs scrolling in two directions (1.4.10).
- Apply increased text spacing with a bookmarklet and check text is still readable (1.4.12).
- Open hover menus and tooltips and check you can dismiss them with Escape (1.4.13).
- Rescan after each fix. Continuous monitoring rescans up to 500 URLs per domain daily and keeps a dated record in the Compliance Vault.
Related Guides
Shopify WCAG 2.1 Checker: Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Shopify site need to meet WCAG 2.1?
WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard most often cited in ADA claims and settlements, required for state and local governments under ADA Title II and used by EN 301 549 V3.2.1. For most Shopify sites it is the practical minimum.
What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 for Shopify?
WCAG 2.2 adds six Level A and AA criteria, such as target size, and removes 4.1.1 Parsing. Meeting 2.2 AA also meets 2.1 AA, so use the WCAG 2.2 checker if you want to go further.
Can the scan check every WCAG 2.1 criterion?
No automated tool can. The scan checks the criteria that can be tested automatically and lists those that need manual review, such as reflow and text spacing.
Sources
- W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (opens in a new tab)
- W3C WAI: What is new in WCAG 2.1 (opens in a new tab)
- ADA.gov: Fact sheet on the ADA Title II web and mobile rule (opens in a new tab)
This page explains general accessibility patterns for Shopify sites and is not legal advice. AccessBell is not affiliated with Shopify. Shopify and its logo are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the platform. See our disclaimer.
