Check Website Accessibility for Free With WAVE
A free automated report can reveal issues, but human testing remains essential.
This guide focuses on decisions you can make with information you can check yourself. Work through the evidence in order, document anything that may change, and prefer the original provider or authority for current conditions. The goal is to make the next practical step easier, not to promise an outcome that depends on other people or services.
Choose the right free route
WAVE from WebAIM offers a free online page checker and browser extensions. Its API and enterprise services are separate paid offerings. Use the public checker for an accessible public URL or the extension for local or authenticated testing as supported.
Start with the highest-impact errors
Look for missing alternative text, labels, contrast issues and empty links. Do not treat each warning as an identical severity; inspect what a real user is prevented from understanding or operating.
Try keyboard navigation
Move through buttons, menus and forms using a keyboard. Check visible focus, logical order and whether a modal traps users. Automated tests cannot fully judge usability for people who use assistive technology.
Fix and retest one page
Choose a representative page, implement a small group of improvements, then rerun the checker. Keep a record of before-and-after issues and manually verify that the fixes did not create new problems.
Remember the report’s limits
A page reporting zero automated errors is not guaranteed accessible. Include meaningful human review and consult WCAG guidance for complete evaluation. Avoid claiming certification based on one tool’s score.
Worked example
Example: run WAVE on a contact page, identify a form input lacking a visible label, then add one and rerun the check. Next, use only a keyboard to submit the form and confirm that validation messages are understandable without colour alone.
Common mistake to avoid
A tool declaring no automatic violations is not proof of WCAG conformance; manual and assistive-technology testing remain necessary.
Printable five-step checklist
Use these prompts as a short worksheet. Save the answers next to your own notes so you can repeat the process rather than relying on memory or a single screenshot.
Questions people ask
What should you verify first?
Begin with “choose the right free route.” Check the original evidence, then make the smallest reversible decision available. If the information is incomplete, record what remains unknown before making a commitment.
How can you avoid a common mistake?
A tool declaring no automatic violations is not proof of WCAG conformance; manual and assistive-technology testing remain necessary. Retest the conclusion against the source links below, especially when pricing, eligibility, safety guidance or software functions may have changed.