Audita11y – Accessibility Auditor for WooCommerce

Description

Audita11y helps WooCommerce store owners work toward conformance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), based on EN 301 549 v3.2.1 (WCAG 2.1, levels A and AA).

The scan runs client-side in your own browser. When you start a scan, the plugin loads the target page in a same-origin frame inside wp-admin and runs the bundled axe-core engine over it. Because it runs in a real browser, it evaluates computed styles and ARIA — so it catches issues that server-side HTML parsing misses, such as color contrast.

Zero install. Nothing leaves your site. No CDN, no external calls, no phone-home. The axe-core engine is bundled locally with the plugin.

What you get:

  • Browser-based automated scan powered by axe-core 4.12.0, bundled locally.
  • Reconciled report across 54 criteria mapped to EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA, combining automated findings with your manual checks.
  • Manual checklist for the criteria a machine cannot decide on its own, with remediation guidance.
  • Conformance score, severity counts, and risk-by-flow for your key WooCommerce pages (shop, cart, checkout, account).
  • Accessibility Declaration draft pre-filled from your audit: a printable, copy-ready statement with the fields you still need to complete. This is a drafting aid, not legal advice.
  • CSV / JSON / HTML exports of the findings.

Important: no automated tool detects every accessibility problem. Audita11y covers machine-detectable checks and reconciles them with manual review — it complements, and does not replace, human testing with assistive technologies.

Optional advanced add-on (not included here): an optional Node-based runner enables multi-page scanning. It is distributed separately and is not required — the plugin works fully without it.

Third-party sources

This plugin bundles axe-core, the accessibility testing engine by Deque Systems, licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0). The original license header is preserved in assets/js/vendor/axe.min.js, and the full license text is included in assets/js/vendor/axe-LICENSE.txt. axe-core source: https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core

Screenshots

Installation

  1. Upload the audita11y folder to /wp-content/plugins/, or install the ZIP via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
  2. Activate the plugin (WooCommerce must be active).
  3. Open “Audita11y” in the admin menu.
  4. Follow the ~5-minute onboarding: run your first browser scan, complete the manual checklist, then generate your Accessibility Declaration draft.

FAQ

Do I need WooCommerce?

Yes. The plugin requires WooCommerce to be active (it uses it for page detection and for the Action Scheduler background queue).

Does the scan check color contrast?

Yes. Because the scan runs axe-core in a real browser over the rendered page, it evaluates computed contrast and ARIA, unlike static server-side HTML analysis.

Does scanning change or expose my site?

No. The scan only reads the rendered page inside your own admin browser. Nothing is modified, and no data is sent anywhere — there are no external requests, no CDN, and no phone-home.

Is the Accessibility Declaration legally binding? Is this legal advice?

No. Under the EAA, accessibility for services is a self-declaration: you, the store owner, publish the declaration under your own responsibility (there is no third-party certification body for services). The plugin only produces a pre-filled draft from your audit. This is not legal advice; consult a qualified professional, and note that sellers outside the EU may need an authorized EU representative.

Can I scan more than one page at a time?

The free, browser-based scan covers one page per scan. Multi-page scanning is available through the optional Node runner add-on, distributed separately.

What accessibility standard is used?

EN 301 549 v3.2.1, which maps to WCAG 2.1 level AA. WCAG 2.2 / EN 301 549 v4 support is planned for a future release.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“Audita11y – Accessibility Auditor for WooCommerce” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.0.0

  • First public release on ww.wp.xz.cn.
  • Distribution packaging and ww.wp.xz.cn compliance: rewritten readme, bundled axe-core license (MPL-2.0), debug logging gated behind WP_DEBUG, and a reproducible build that ships only the plugin (no dev files, no external calls).
  • No functional changes versus 0.11.0.

0.11.0

  • Client-side scan: runs axe-core directly in the admin browser (zero install, nothing leaves the site); feeds the same pipeline (Importer/Reconciler).
  • Node runner demoted to optional (advanced multi-page scan); the plugin works fully without it.
  • Accessibility Declaration promoted to a core feature: dedicated submenu plus dashboard call-to-action, with fields to complete and a “not legal advice” notice.
  • ~5-minute onboarding on the dashboard. axe-core 4.12.0 bundled locally. Updated pt_PT translation.

0.10.0

  • Consolidation of Phases 6 (Report & mapping), 7 (Dashboard) and 8 (Scheduling & monitoring) into one complete package.
  • Reconciled report across the 54 criteria (POUR score, risk by flow, CSV/JSON/HTML exports, Accessibility Declaration draft).
  • Executive dashboard on the finding model; legacy static engine removed.
  • Scheduling via Node runner (PHP->Node bridge) and monitoring with email alerts.

0.9.0

  • Polish: readme, i18n (.pot), full cleanup on uninstall.

0.8.2

  • Scheduling status and “run now” button in settings.

0.8.0

  • Settings page (limits, timeout, SSL, automatic scheduling).

0.7.0

  • +7 WCAG rules and A/AA/AAA levels.

0.6.0

  • Background analysis with Action Scheduler.

0.5.0

  • Report by severity/rule and CSV export.

0.4.0

  • Rule engine and page analysis.

0.3.0

  • URL discovery.

0.2.0

  • Data layer (scans, pages, issues).

0.1.0

  • Initial scaffold.