Shopify Accessibility: How to Find and Fix Common Accessibility Issues
- notifyrushupdates
- Aug 25
- 31 min read
A Shopify store can look polished, work perfectly with a mouse, and still be difficult or impossible for some customers to use.
A menu that works visually may be difficult to navigate with a keyboard. An icon may make perfect sense to a sighted customer but tell a screen reader user nothing. A product image may show important information without providing an alternative way to understand it.
Accessibility is often something store owners think about only after receiving a complaint, an audit finding, or a legal notice. That can make the problem much more expensive and stressful to deal with.
The good news is that you don't need to be an accessibility expert to start improving your Shopify store.
With a few tools, some basic testing, and a clear understanding of the most common problems, you can identify many issues yourself and know what needs to be fixed by your developer, designer, or app provider.
In this guide, we'll look at the accessibility problems Shopify merchants should watch for, how to check for them, which tools can help, and how to verify that a fix actually works.
The goal isn't to chase a perfect accessibility score. It's to make your store easier for every customer to navigate, understand, and use.
How Can I Check My Shopify Store for Accessibility Problems?
You don't need to inspect every page of your Shopify store manually from the beginning. Start with your most important pages, use automated tools to find obvious problems, and then test the customer experience yourself.
Step 1: Start With Your Homepage
Run an accessibility scan on your homepage first.
A good starting tool is Accessible Web Helper, which can check your page against a large set of accessibility rules.
Run the scan and make a note of the issues it reports. Don't worry about fixing everything at once. Work through the findings one at a time.
Step 2: Run More Than One Accessibility Checker
Don't depend on a single tool. After the first scan, check the same page with tools such as:
Different tools can identify different problems, so comparing their results gives you a better picture of the store.
Step 3: Check Your Important Store Pages
Once you've checked the homepage, move through the pages that matter most to customers:
Homepage → Product pages → Collection pages → Search → Cart → Important landing pages
Also check landing pages created with page builders. They often contain different headings, images, buttons, and content from the main theme.
Step 4: Test With the Keyboard
Put the mouse aside and navigate the store using only the keyboard.
Press Tab and Shift + Tab and check whether:
Important elements receive focus.
You can reach buttons, links, menus, and forms.
Focus moves in a sensible order.
You can open and close menus and pop-ups.
You don't get trapped inside a component.
This can reveal problems that an automated scanner doesn't make obvious.
Step 5: Test With a Screen Reader
Use NVDA on Windows and repeat the important parts of the shopping journey.
Listen to how it announces:
Navigation
Product information
Buttons
Links
Images
Cart controls
Forms
Pop-ups and dialogs
Don't just ask whether NVDA can read the page. Ask:
Does it give the customer enough information to understand what they're looking at and what they can do next?
Step 6: Check Visual Accessibility
Use your accessibility tools to look for visual problems such as:
Poor color contrast
Text that is too small
Links that are difficult to distinguish
Missing or weak focus indicators
Important information communicated only through color
These issues are particularly important on promotional landing pages, where design choices can sometimes take priority over accessibility.
Step 7: Fix, Then Test Again
Once an issue is fixed, don't assume it's solved because the code was changed.
Run the accessibility checker again, repeat the keyboard test, and use NVDA where appropriate.
A simple workflow is:
Scan → Identify → Fix → Rescan → Keyboard test → NVDA test
Then move to the next issue.
Step 8: Keep Checking After Store Changes
Accessibility isn't a one-time project.
A new theme, landing page, app, promotion, popup, or custom design can introduce new problems. Make accessibility checks part of your normal store maintenance rather than waiting until a customer or third party finds an issue.
Merchant Tip
You don't need to become an accessibility specialist to improve your store.
You need a repeatable process for finding problems, knowing what they mean, and making sure they are actually fixed.
What Shopify Accessibility Issues Should I Fix First?
When an accessibility scan gives you a long list of warnings, it can be difficult to know where to start. You don't need to fix every minor issue before addressing the problems that can prevent customers from navigating or using your store.
A practical priority is to start with problems that affect the basic shopping experience.
1. Start With Navigation
Check whether customers can move around your store using a keyboard or screen reader.
Pay particular attention to:
Main navigation
Mobile menus
Search
Account links
Cart controls
Close buttons
Important pop-ups
During our audit, several header controls were visually clear but didn't provide enough information to assistive technology. These included an account control, search close button, and mobile menu control.
2. Check Keyboard Access
Next, make sure important actions don't require a mouse.
Try completing basic tasks using only the keyboard:
Open the menu → search for a product → open a product → add it to cart → open the cart → change quantity
Pay close attention to anything that cannot receive focus or cannot be operated after receiving focus.
3. Check Your Cart and Forms
The cart deserves special attention because it contains several interactive elements.
Check:
Quantity fields
Increase/decrease controls
Remove buttons
Checkout controls
Cart notes
Other form fields
In the store we audited, both the cart quantity field and its increase/decrease controls had accessibility problems.
4. Check Images and Product Content
Make sure customers who cannot see your images can still understand important product information.
Review:
Product images
Collection images
Promotional banners
Images on landing pages
Images inside product links
Don't assume every image needs a long description. The important question is whether the image communicates information that a customer needs.
5. Check Visual Accessibility
After the basic navigation and interaction issues, look at visual problems such as:
Poor color contrast
Small text
Difficult-to-see links
Weak keyboard focus indicators
Information communicated only through color
This is especially important when designers are creating new promotional landing pages.
6. Check Third-Party Apps
Don't assume every accessibility problem belongs to your Shopify theme.
Apps can add:
Pop-ups
Menus
Review widgets
Search
Chat
Product recommendations
Other interactive components
During our audit, one keyboard-accessibility issue was associated with a third-party mega-menu app rather than the theme itself.
When that happens, contact the app provider rather than trying to force a theme-level fix that may break when the app updates.
A simple priority rule
When deciding what to fix first, ask:
Can this problem prevent someone from finding, understanding, or purchasing a product?
If the answer is yes, move it toward the top of your list.
Navigation and keyboard access → Forms and cart → Content and images → Visual issues → Minor findings
This isn't a replacement for a formal accessibility audit, but it gives a Shopify merchant a sensible place to start.
Does Your Shopify Store Have a Skip-to-Content Link?
A Skip to main content link gives keyboard users a quick way to bypass repeated navigation and move directly to the main content of a page.
It is easy to miss because most shoppers using a mouse will never notice it. But for someone navigating with a keyboard or screen reader, having to move through the entire header and navigation on every page can make the store frustrating to use.
In our accessibility work, this wasn't something an automated scanner originally brought to our attention. It was identified through an accessibility-related legal notice, which prompted us to check the store manually.
How can you check it?
Open your storefront and place the mouse aside.
Press Tab immediately after the page loads.
A properly implemented store should provide a visible "Skip to main content" option early in the keyboard navigation.
Press Enter and check whether you are taken directly to the main content.
How can you test it with NVDA?
Repeat the same process with NVDA enabled.
Check that:
NVDA announces the skip link.
You can activate it with the keyboard.
Focus moves to the main content.
You don't have to tab through the entire header again.
The important test isn't whether the link exists in the code. It's whether it actually helps a keyboard or screen-reader user move past repeated navigation.
What should you do if the skip link is missing or doesn't work?
This is usually a theme-level issue, so ask your Shopify developer or theme provider to check the storefront's main navigation and page structure.
You can also give an AI coding assistant the exact issue and ask it to inspect the theme for:
"Check whether the Shopify theme has a working skip-to-main-content mechanism. Verify that keyboard users can reach it immediately, that it becomes visible on focus, and that activating it moves focus to the main page content. Do not change unrelated theme code."
After the change, test it yourself with the keyboard and NVDA.
Why this is worth checking
A skip link is a small feature, but it addresses a basic navigation problem: repeated content should not become a barrier to reaching the content a customer came to see.
Merchant Tip
Don't only test your store the way most customers see it.
Tab through it. Listen to it.
You'll often discover accessibility problems that aren't obvious from the screen.
Are Your Shopify Headings in the Right Order?
Headings do more than make a Shopify page look organized. Screen-reader users can use headings to understand the structure of a page and move quickly between sections.
A common problem is choosing heading levels based on how large or small the text should look rather than its place in the page structure.
For example, a footer section title might visually look small, so a designer may use an <h6>. But if that heading appears directly under a much higher-level heading, the structure can become confusing for screen-reader users.
What should you look for?
When checking your store, look for:
Heading levels being skipped without a good reason.
Multiple headings used only because of their visual size.
A page starting with an unusually low-level heading.
Headings that don't reflect the structure of the content.
Text styled to look like a heading but not marked up as one.
A real example from the accessibility work was a "QUICK LINKS" heading that had been implemented as an h6. The problem was not how the heading looked—it was where that heading sat in the document's heading structure.
How can you check it?
Your accessibility checker may flag heading-order problems automatically.
You can also inspect the page yourself with:
Accessible Web Helper → Siteimprove Accessibility Checker → Browser inspection
A useful manual check is to look at the page's headings as a simple outline:
H1→ H2→ H2→ H3→ H2
Then ask:
Does this outline make sense if I remove all the visual styling?
If the answer is no, the heading structure probably needs attention.
How can you fix it?
Don't choose the correct heading level based only on font size.
Instead, ask your designer or developer to review the content hierarchy and assign heading levels according to the structure of the page.
For example, a small section title doesn't automatically need to be an H6. It may actually belong at H2 or H3 based on what it represents.
The visual appearance can then be controlled separately through the store's styling.
How can you test the fix?
After the heading structure is corrected:
Run your accessibility checker again.
Check the heading outline.
Use NVDA and navigate by headings.
Listen to whether the page sections make sense when heard without the visual design.
NVDA is particularly useful here because you can move through headings without reading the entire page.
Why does this matter?
A screen-reader user may use headings as a shortcut through a long Shopify page.
On a product page, for example, they may want to jump directly to:
Product information → Ingredients → How to use → Reviews → FAQ
If those sections don't have a logical heading structure, navigating the page becomes harder.
Merchant Tip
Don't choose heading tags because they make the text look right. Choose them because they describe the structure of the content.
Your designer can make an H2 look small and an H4 look large. The visual design and the semantic structure don't have to be the same.
Can Shopify Apps Cause Accessibility Problems?
Yes. An important part of a Shopify accessibility audit is checking third-party apps, not just the theme.
Your store can have an accessible theme and still have an inaccessible popup, menu, review widget, search tool, or other component added by an app.
During our audit, one of the remaining critical issues was a mobile submenu that could receive focus and announce itself as expanded, but the submenu did not actually open when activated with the keyboard. The issue was traced to the Buddha Mega Menu app, so it was treated as an app-level problem rather than a theme problem. The issue was reported to the app's support team.
What should you check?
Review the interactive apps installed on your storefront, especially those that add:
Mega menus
Pop-ups
Reviews
Search
Chat
Product recommendations
Subscription widgets
Wishlist features
Accessibility widgets
Pay particular attention to anything that opens, closes, expands, collapses, or changes dynamically.
How can you find app-related problems?
Start with the same process you use for your theme:
Accessible Web Helper → Siteimprove → Keyboard testing → NVDA
When you find a problem, ask:
Is this component actually generated by my Shopify theme, or is it coming from an installed app?
You can often identify the responsible app by inspecting the element in Chrome DevTools or by temporarily testing the component after disabling the relevant app, where practical.
What should you do if an app is causing the problem?
Don't immediately start modifying your theme to work around an app problem.
First:
Identify the app responsible.
Document the exact accessibility problem.
Record how the problem affects keyboard or screen-reader users.
Contact the app developer.
Ask them to provide an accessibility fix or confirm whether an updated version is available.
Retest the component after the change.
For the Buddha Mega Menu issue, the problem was reported to the app's support team rather than being treated as a theme fix.
What should you test after the app is updated?
Don't assume an app update fixed the problem.
Repeat the exact interaction that originally failed.
For example:
Tab to menu → Enter → submenu opens → NVDA announces the correct state → navigate submenu items
Then test it again with the mouse and on mobile.
One important point for Shopify merchants
You don't control every piece of code that appears on your storefront.
A third-party app can introduce an accessibility problem even after you've cleaned up your own theme.
That's why accessibility should be part of your app-selection and maintenance process—not something you check only when rebuilding the theme.
Merchant Tip
Before installing an important storefront app, ask:
"How does this app behave with keyboard navigation and screen readers?"
It is much easier to ask that question before an app becomes deeply integrated into your store.
Is the Text and Color Contrast on Your Shopify Store Accessible?
A store can have clear content and good navigation but still be difficult to read because the colors don't provide enough contrast.
This is especially common with light-colored text, muted gray copy, buttons, promotional banners, text placed over images, and "subtle" design elements that look good visually but become difficult to read for customers with low vision.
WCAG 2.2 defines a 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text under Level AA.
What should you check?
Look closely at:
Body text
Product prices
Button text
Links
Placeholder text
Promotional banners
Text over product or background images
Sale badges
Error and success messages
Keyboard focus indicators
Don't check only the homepage. A new landing page can easily introduce colors that don't match the accessibility standards used elsewhere on the store.
How can you check color contrast?
You can use several tools:
Accessible Web Helper Useful for finding contrast-related accessibility findings during a broader page scan.
Siteimprove Accessibility Checker Useful for identifying additional accessibility problems on the rendered page.
WAVE Useful for reviewing the page visually and investigating contrast-related errors.
Lighthouse Useful as another automated check while reviewing the overall page.
For a specific color combination, use a dedicated WCAG contrast checker and enter the foreground and background colors.
What should you do when a color fails?
Don't immediately change the entire store's design.
First identify where the failing color is being used.
For example, if your muted gray is used throughout the store, changing it may affect dozens of components. Your designer can instead choose an accessible color that stays close to the existing brand palette.
For text over images, you may need a different solution altogether—such as changing the text color, adding a background overlay, or changing the image behind the text. W3C specifically notes that text placed over varying backgrounds can require adjustments to the background or a surrounding treatment to maintain sufficient contrast.
Don't forget focus indicators
Contrast isn't only about normal text.
When someone navigates your store with a keyboard, they need to be able to see where the focus currently is.
Check links, buttons, menus, search controls, and other interactive elements while pressing Tab.
A focus indicator that is barely visible against the surrounding design is a usability problem even when the normal button or link looks perfectly readable.
How should you test after a design change?
After your designer or developer changes the colors:
Rescan → Check the affected elements → Tab through them → Verify focus is visible
Then check the same components on desktop and mobile.
Merchant Tip
Accessibility doesn't mean your Shopify store has to look plain or abandon your brand colors.
It means your design has to remain usable for people who don't experience color and contrast the same way you do.
Are Your Shopify Pop-Ups and Dialogs Accessible?
Pop-ups are common in Shopify stores. Email signup offers, discount pop-ups, quick views, search overlays, cart drawers, and other dialogs can appear without warning while a customer is browsing.
For a mouse user, these may feel straightforward. For someone using a keyboard or screen reader, a poorly built pop-up can become a dead end.
During our accessibility work, dialog handling was one of the areas we specifically reviewed. The accessibility code checks whether dialogs have an accessible name and whether keyboard focus stays within the dialog while it is open.
What should you check?
Look at every pop-up or dialog that appears on your store.
Check:
Newsletter and discount pop-ups
Exit-intent pop-ups
Quick-view product windows
Search overlays
Cart drawers
Login/account dialogs
Promotional announcements
Cookie or consent dialogs
How can you test one?
Open the pop-up and put the mouse aside.
Press Tab and check whether keyboard focus stays inside the open dialog.
You should be able to:
Open the dialog → move through its controls → reach the close button → close it
You should not suddenly find yourself tabbing through the page behind the pop-up.
How can you test it with NVDA?
Open the dialog with NVDA running and listen to the announcement.
You should be able to tell:
What the dialog is for.
What controls are available.
Where your focus currently is.
How to close it.
For example, a discount popup should identify itself as something related to the offer rather than simply being announced as an unnamed dialog.
What should you do if it fails?
First identify whether the popup comes from:
Your Shopify theme → a page builder → a third-party app
Then send the exact problem to the responsible developer or app provider.
For example:
"When this popup opens using the keyboard, focus moves behind the popup and the screen reader does not identify the dialog. Please make the dialog accessible to keyboard and screen-reader users, keep focus within it while open, provide an accessible name, and return focus appropriately when it closes."
This is much more useful than simply telling a developer that "the popup fails accessibility."
How can you verify the fix?
After the change:
Keyboard test → NVDA test → accessibility scan
Open the popup several times and make sure the behavior is consistent.
Also test both desktop and mobile versions because many stores use different popup implementations at different screen sizes.
Merchant Tip
A pop-up isn't accessible simply because customers can click its close button.
Open it without a mouse and listen to it without looking at the screen.
That's often the quickest way to discover whether the popup actually works for everyone.
Are Your Shopify Forms and Input Fields Properly Labeled?
A customer can look at a form and immediately understand what each field is asking for. A screen-reader user may not have that visual context.
This is especially important for Shopify stores because forms appear in many places: the cart, newsletter signup, contact forms, account pages, search, and promotional pop-ups.
During the accessibility work, an issue was found with cart fields that did not provide a clear accessible label. The fix was not simply about making the field look clearer; it was about making sure assistive technology could identify what the field was for.
What should you check?
Look at the fields customers interact with and ask:
Can a screen reader identify what the field is for?
Is the visible text actually associated with the field?
Are placeholders being used as the only description?
If several similar fields appear together, can the user tell them apart?
Are required fields and instructions communicated clearly?
Pay particular attention to your cart, contact forms, newsletter forms, login/account pages, and pop-ups.
How can you check it?
Start with Accessible Web Helper or Siteimprove Accessibility Checker.
Then use NVDA to move through the form with the keyboard.
Don't just check whether the cursor reaches the field. Listen to what NVDA announces when the field receives focus.
For example, a customer should be able to understand whether they are focused on an email field, a quantity field, a name field, or another type of input.
What should you do if a field isn't labeled correctly?
Ask your designer or developer to review the field and make sure it has a proper accessible name.
A good instruction is:
"Make sure every customer-facing form field has a clear accessible label that is correctly associated with the field. Don't rely only on placeholder text."
For fields where multiple products or controls appear together, make sure the label provides enough context to identify the correct item.
Don't forget custom forms
Check forms added through:
Shopify theme sections
Page builders
Pop-ups
Third-party apps
Custom landing pages
A form can be accessible in the main theme but have different problems when recreated inside a page builder or app.
How can you verify the fix?
After the change:
Rescan → Tab through the form → Test with NVDA
Listen to every important field and make sure the announcement makes sense without relying on the visual layout.
Merchant Tip
Don't ask only:
"Can customers see what this field is?"
Ask:
"Can a customer using a screen reader understand what this field is asking for?"
That small change in perspective can uncover problems that are easy to miss during a normal visual review.
Are Your Shopify Social Media Links Accessible?
Social media icons in a footer can look perfectly clear to a sighted customer. But when there is no accessible name, a screen-reader user may encounter several links without knowing where they lead.
This was one of the issues identified during the accessibility audit: footer social links were missing meaningful accessible names.
What should you check?
Open your footer and look at every social media icon.
Check whether a screen-reader user can tell that the links lead to:
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest
TikTok
X or other social platforms you use
The visual logo is not enough. The purpose of the link should also be available to assistive technology.
How can you check it?
Start with Accessible Web Helper or Siteimprove Accessibility Checker and scan the footer.
Then use NVDA:
Move to the footer using the keyboard.
Move through each social link.
Listen to what NVDA announces.
You should hear something that identifies the destination, rather than simply:
"Link"
How can you fix it?
Ask your developer or theme provider to give every social media link a clear accessible name.
The name should identify the destination, such as:
or:
Follow us on Instagram
The exact wording can depend on the context of the footer.
If the social icon itself is decorative, it should not be announced separately from the link.
What if your social links are added by an app?
Some themes and apps generate social icons automatically.
If the problem appears inside an app-generated component, identify the responsible app first and ask the app provider to correct the accessibility issue.
Don't assume that changing the theme will fix content generated by an app.
How can you verify the fix?
After the change:
Rescan the footer → navigate with Tab → test with NVDA
Make sure each social link has a clear name and that the same link isn't announced twice because both the icon and surrounding content are being exposed to the screen reader.
Why is this worth checking?
The footer is often repeated across the entire storefront.
That means one inaccessible social icon can appear on your homepage, product pages, collection pages, landing pages, and other templates.
A small issue in a shared component can therefore affect the entire site.
Merchant Tip
When you see an icon-only link, ask one simple question:
"What would a screen-reader user hear here?"
If the answer isn't obvious, the link deserves another look.
Can an Accessibility Fix Create New Problems?
Yes. One of the lessons from our accessibility work was that fixing one accessibility issue without checking the existing implementation can create another one.
This happened while working on an automated accessibility script. The script was designed to find form fields that didn't have an accessible name and add one automatically. But we discovered that the logic could interfere with fields that already had a valid label.
That is an important lesson for Shopify merchants using automated accessibility tools or AI to make fixes: don't assume that a fix suggested by a tool is automatically safe to apply across the entire store.
What should you watch for?
Be careful when a tool or AI suggests changes that:
Automatically add labels to many fields.
Add ARIA attributes across the entire store.
Change headings in bulk.
Modify keyboard behavior globally.
Automatically change image alt text.
Inject JavaScript to "fix" accessibility issues everywhere.
A change that fixes one page can behave differently on another template, app, or component.
How can you check for this?
After making an accessibility change, don't only check the element that originally produced the warning.
Check other instances of the same component.
For example, if you fix a form-field accessibility problem, review:
Cart → Newsletter → Contact form → Account → Pop-ups
Then run your accessibility tools again and test the affected components with NVDA.
What should you do when using AI?
AI can be extremely useful for understanding accessibility issues and reviewing theme code, but give it the full context.
Instead of asking:
"Fix all accessibility problems."
Ask it to:
Identify the specific accessibility problem, explain why it occurs, check whether the existing element already has an accessible name or behavior, and suggest a targeted fix without changing unrelated components.
Then apply the change and test the actual storefront.
How do you know the fix didn't cause another problem?
Use the same process every time:
Original issue → Fix → Rescan → Test related components → Keyboard test → NVDA test
Don't measure success only by whether the accessibility score increased.
A higher score isn't useful if a previously working component has become harder to use.
Merchant Tip
Accessibility fixes should improve the customer experience, not simply improve a scanner score.
When a tool suggests a global fix, treat it as a recommendation to investigate—not as permission to change your entire storefront blindly.
How Can Shopify Merchants Test Accessibility With a Screen Reader?
Automated accessibility tools are useful, but they cannot tell you everything about the experience of a customer who uses a screen reader.
One of the most useful parts of an accessibility review is to use your store the way a screen-reader customer might. In your own testing, NVDA became an important part of the process after fixing issues found through automated scans.
What should you test?
Don't try to read the entire website.
Start with the important shopping journey:
Homepage → Navigation → Search → Product page → Add to cart → Cart → Forms → Important pop-ups
Listen to how the page communicates:
Headings
Links
Buttons
Product information
Images
Form fields
Cart controls
Menus
Pop-ups and dialogs
How can you start with NVDA?
Open your Shopify store in Chrome and start NVDA.
Then use the keyboard instead of the mouse.
Press Tab to move through interactive elements and listen carefully to what NVDA announces.
For example, when you reach the cart, you should be able to understand what the cart control is and, where relevant, how many items are currently in it.
When you reach a product, you should be able to understand the important information without depending entirely on what is displayed visually.
What should you listen for?
Pay attention when NVDA announces:
Nothing useful
The element may be missing an accessible name.
Only "link" or "button"
The control may not explain what it does.
Unexpected or repeated information
An icon, label, or other decorative element may be exposed unnecessarily.
Wrong information
The page may be exposing a stale label or incorrect state.
Missing information
Something obvious visually may not be available to the screen reader at all.
What should you do when you find a problem?
Don't immediately try to fix the code yourself.
First record:
Page → Element → What NVDA announced → What you expected it to announce
Then use your accessibility checker and, where necessary, ask your developer or AI coding assistant to investigate the underlying problem.
This makes troubleshooting much easier because you're giving them an actual user-experience problem rather than simply saying:
"The page isn't accessible."
How should you verify a fix?
Repeat the exact same action that revealed the problem.
For example:
Before: NVDA announces an unnamed button.
Fix: Developer updates the control.
After: NVDA announces the purpose of the button clearly.
Then continue through the surrounding elements to make sure the fix didn't affect the focus order or another part of the component.
Why is this important?
A page can pass many automated checks and still be confusing to someone using a screen reader.
That's why your accessibility process should combine:
Automated testing + keyboard testing + screen-reader testing
No single method gives you the complete picture.
Merchant Tip
You don't need to become an NVDA expert to learn something useful from screen-reader testing.
Turn it on, put away the mouse, and try to shop your own store.
Within a few minutes, you'll often notice things that aren't obvious from a normal visual review.
How Often Should You Check Your Shopify Store for Accessibility?
Accessibility shouldn't be treated as a one-time cleanup project. Your storefront changes constantly—new products, landing pages, apps, promotions, theme updates, and custom sections can all introduce new problems.
The safest approach is to make accessibility checks part of your normal store maintenance.
When should you run an accessibility check?
At minimum, check your store when:
You launch a new Shopify theme.
You make major theme changes.
You create a new landing page or page-builder template.
You install or significantly change a storefront app.
You redesign your navigation, cart, forms, or pop-ups.
You receive an accessibility complaint or legal notice.
For frequently changing stores, it also makes sense to perform a regular recurring scan rather than waiting for a major redesign.
Which pages should you check?
Start with the pages customers use most:
Homepage → Product pages → Collection pages → Search → Cart → Landing pages
You don't necessarily need to manually test every product URL if hundreds of products use the same template. Start with the underlying template, then spot-check several live products.
What should you check after a new landing page is published?
This is particularly important for merchants using page builders.
Before sending significant traffic to a new landing page, run:
Accessibility scan → Keyboard test → Visual check → NVDA test
Pay attention to the elements that were newly designed:
Headings
Images
Buttons
Text contrast
Links
Forms
Pop-ups
A page can look exactly like the approved design and still introduce accessibility problems.
What about Shopify app updates?
An app update can change the HTML and behavior of something on your storefront without you changing your theme.
That's why important app-generated components should be tested again after major updates, particularly:
Navigation
Search
Reviews
Pop-ups
Chat
Product recommendation widgets
Keep a simple accessibility checklist
You don't need a complicated compliance spreadsheet.
A simple record can track:
Issue → Page/component → Severity → Fix needed → Person responsible → Retested
This also makes it easier to see whether the same accessibility problem keeps appearing.
Merchant Tip
Every major storefront change is an opportunity to introduce an accessibility problem.
Don't wait for a customer—or a legal notice—to tell you something changed. A quick accessibility check before and after important changes can save a lot of trouble later.
What Should You Do If You Receive an Accessibility Complaint or Legal Notice?
An accessibility complaint or legal notice can be stressful, especially when you're already running a busy Shopify store. The important thing is not to ignore it or assume that your accessibility checker score means the store has no problems.
In our case, accessibility became a much higher priority after receiving multiple legal notices. Some matters were resolved with smaller settlements, while a recent claim sought a five-figure amount. The notices also helped identify practical problems that weren't being caught by our normal store checks.
What should you do first?
Don't immediately start changing random parts of the store.
Instead:
Read the notice carefully.
Identify exactly which accessibility problems are being alleged.
Document the affected pages and components.
Run your own accessibility scans.
Test the reported issues manually with a keyboard and NVDA.
Start remediation based on the actual findings.
Which tools should you use?
Use several methods rather than relying on one accessibility score:
Accessible Web Helper for broad automated testing.
Siteimprove Accessibility Checker for another independent scan.
Lighthouse for additional automated checks.
WAVE for visual and structural review.
NVDA for screen-reader testing.
You can also have your developer or AI assistant review the relevant storefront components once you've identified the actual problem.
Should you rely on an accessibility widget or overlay?
Don't assume that installing an accessibility widget means the store itself is now accessible.
Your theme, customizations, page-builder content, and third-party apps can still contain accessibility problems.
The better approach is to identify and fix the underlying issues and then retest the store.
When should you involve a professional?
Bring in an accessibility specialist or qualified legal professional when the matter involves a formal legal demand, lawsuit, settlement, or questions about your legal obligations.
Technical accessibility testing can help you find and remediate website problems, but it is not a substitute for legal advice.
How should you document your work?
Keep a simple record of:
Issue → Where it was found → What was changed → Date fixed → How it was tested → Retest result
This gives your team a clear history of what has been addressed and helps prevent the same problem from being forgotten later.
One important lesson
A legal notice shouldn't be the point at which accessibility begins.
The better approach is to treat accessibility like store security, performance, and customer experience: something you monitor and improve before it becomes an emergency.
Merchant Tip
Don't build your accessibility strategy around avoiding a legal notice alone.
Build an accessible store because your customers deserve to be able to browse, understand, and purchase from it regardless of how they interact with the web.
Can AI Help Shopify Merchants Find Accessibility Problems?
es. AI can be useful when working on Shopify accessibility, especially when you already have a specific problem identified by an accessibility checker.
But it should be treated as a helper, not as the final authority.
During the accessibility work, AI was used to review theme code, understand why a reported issue was occurring, suggest possible fixes, and help investigate additional problems. After making a change, the storefront was tested again with accessibility tools and NVDA rather than assuming the AI's answer was correct.
What can AI help you with?
AI can help you:
Understand an accessibility warning in plain English.
Identify what part of your Shopify theme may be responsible.
Review a theme component for common accessibility problems.
Suggest questions to ask your developer or app provider.
Help analyze whether a reported issue has actually been addressed.
Find related problems that may have been missed by an automated scanner.
What should you give the AI?
The more context you provide, the more useful the result will be.
For example, give it:
The accessibility warning → the page → the affected element → what you expected to happen → what actually happens with keyboard or NVDA
Then ask it to explain the problem and suggest what should be investigated.
You can also ask AI to review a specific theme component for accessibility problems, but avoid asking it to blindly "fix the entire Shopify store."
Don't trust AI without testing
This is the most important part.
An AI assistant can suggest a technically valid change that still creates problems somewhere else.
Use this cycle:
AI suggestion → Make the change → Rescan → Keyboard test → NVDA test
If the result isn't correct, give the AI the new behavior and ask it to reassess.
Where should AI not replace a professional?
AI shouldn't replace:
A proper accessibility audit when one is required.
Accessibility specialists for complex compliance work.
Legal advice when you receive a formal legal notice or lawsuit.
Testing with real users where that level of testing is appropriate.
Merchant Tip
AI can dramatically reduce the time needed to investigate accessibility issues.
But don't let AI decide that your store is accessible. Test the store yourself.
What Should You Do After Fixing Shopify Accessibility Issues?
ixing the problems you find is only part of the job. The next challenge is making sure those problems don't quietly return the next time someone changes the theme, adds a landing page, installs an app, or updates a component.
Step 1: Run Your Accessibility Scans Again
After making the fixes, rescan the affected pages with the same tools that identified the problems.
At minimum, use the tools you already used during the audit:
Accessible Web Helper → Siteimprove → Lighthouse/WAVE where useful
Don't only look at the overall score. Confirm that the specific problems you originally identified are gone.
Step 2: Test the Customer Experience
Run a quick keyboard test.
Then use NVDA on the important areas you changed.
This matters because a scanner may stop reporting a technical issue while the actual experience is still confusing or difficult to use.
Step 3: Check Other Pages Using the Same Component
A common mistake is fixing one page and assuming the whole store is fixed.
For example, if you corrected an issue on a product template, check several products using that template.
Do the same with:
Collection pages
Header/navigation
Cart
Footer
Pop-ups
Landing pages
Step 4: Keep a Simple Record
Maintain a basic accessibility log:
Issue → Where it was found → Fix → Date → Testing performed → Result
You don't need a complicated compliance system to start. The purpose is simply to know what you've already fixed and what still needs attention.
Step 5: Recheck After Major Store Changes
Run another check when you:
Change or update your theme.
Launch a new landing page.
Install a new storefront app.
Redesign the header, cart, or navigation.
Make significant customizations.
Add new interactive components.
This is particularly important for growing Shopify stores where several people may be changing the storefront.
Step 6: Don't Chase the Score
A high score is useful, but it shouldn't become the goal by itself.
A store can have fewer automated warnings and still have a poor experience for someone using a keyboard or screen reader.
The real objective is:
Can customers navigate the store, understand the information, and complete their purchase?
Merchant Tip
Accessibility isn't a project you finish once.
Fix it, test it, document it, and check it again when your store changes.
Is Shopify Automatically Accessible Out of the Box?
Shopify provides accessibility guidance and accessibility features, but installing Shopify does not automatically make every storefront fully accessible.
Your actual store can still develop accessibility problems through theme choices, customizations, page-builder content, third-party apps, images, navigation, forms, and other changes made after the store is launched.
What does Shopify handle?
Shopify controls some parts of the platform, but merchants usually control a large part of the storefront experience, including:
Theme and design
Product and collection content
Images
Landing pages
Navigation
Storefront apps
Customizations
Pop-ups and other interactive components
That means accessibility needs to be considered as part of your ongoing store management.
Does using a Shopify 2.0 theme guarantee accessibility?
No.
A modern theme can provide a good foundation, but your custom sections, apps, page-builder content, images, colors, and other changes can still introduce accessibility problems.
The same applies to older themes.
Do accessibility apps or overlays solve the problem?
They can provide useful features, but don't treat an accessibility app or overlay as proof that your entire store is accessible.
You should still check the underlying storefront with accessibility scanners, keyboard navigation, and a screen reader such as NVDA.
What should a Shopify merchant do?
You don't need to become an accessibility specialist.
A practical approach is:
Choose a good theme → check accessibility before major launches → test important pages → review new apps and landing pages → fix problems when found → retest
That is much more realistic than trying to achieve a perfect result once and never checking again.
Merchant Tip
Shopify gives you the platform. You still own the customer experience.
Accessibility should be part of how you manage your store, not something you discover only after a customer complaint or legal notice.
What Is the Simplest Shopify Accessibility Checklist?
ou don't need to remember every WCAG rule to start improving your Shopify store. A simple checklist can help you catch many of the problems that affect everyday shopping.
Use it whenever you launch a new page, make a major storefront change, or want to perform a regular accessibility review.
Navigation
Check that customers can:
Navigate the store using only a keyboard.
See where keyboard focus is.
Open and close the main and mobile menus.
Use search and account controls.
Skip repeated navigation and reach the main content.
Product Pages
Check that:
Product images have useful alternative text where needed.
Product information is understandable with a screen reader.
Quantity controls can be used with a keyboard.
Buttons and links have clear names.
Tabs, accordions, and other interactive sections work without a mouse.
Cart
Check that:
Quantity fields are identifiable.
+ and − controls are keyboard accessible.
Remove and checkout controls are clearly identified.
Cart forms and messages can be understood with a screen reader.
Forms and Pop-ups
Check that:
Every important field has a clear accessible label.
Required information is communicated.
Pop-ups identify themselves clearly.
Keyboard focus stays in the correct place when a dialog is open.
Customers can close dialogs using the keyboard.
Visual Design
Check:
Text and background contrast.
Button and link contrast.
Text size.
Visible keyboard focus.
Information that is communicated only through color.
Images and Content
Check that:
Meaningful images have useful alternative text.
Decorative images don't create unnecessary screen-reader noise.
Headings follow a sensible structure.
Links describe where they lead.
Third-Party Apps
Check important app-generated components such as:
Reviews
Search
Mega menus
Pop-ups
Chat
Product recommendations
Test them separately rather than assuming your theme's accessibility work covers them. Tools to Keep Handy
A practical toolkit for a Shopify merchant can include:
Accessible Web Helper — broad accessibility checks.
Siteimprove Accessibility Checker — another useful automated review.
WAVE — visual and accessibility inspection.
Lighthouse — additional automated checks.
NVDA — screen-reader testing.
Keyboard-only testing — essential for checking real navigation and interaction.
The 10-Minute Check
When you don't have time for a full audit, do this:
Open homepage → Press Tab → Open menu → Search → Open product → Add to cart → Open cart → Change quantity → Check a form → Test with NVDA
If you find something that doesn't work, document it and add it to your remediation list.
Merchant Tip
You don't need to fix everything in one day.
Start with the problems that stop customers from navigating, understanding, or buying from your store. Then keep improving from there.
What Are the Most Common Shopify Accessibility Mistakes?
Most accessibility problems in a Shopify store are not caused by one major failure. They usually come from small decisions made across the theme, design, content, and apps.
The issues we've covered so far are good examples:
Navigation that isn't easy to use with a keyboard
Missing or ineffective skip-to-content navigation
Icon-only buttons and links without clear names
Unlabeled form fields and cart controls
Images without useful alternative text
Poor color or text contrast
Heading structures that don't make sense
Pop-ups that don't work properly with keyboard or screen readers
Third-party apps that introduce accessibility problems
The important point is that these problems can exist even when the store looks completely normal to a sighted shopper.
What should a merchant do?
Don't wait until you have a long list of problems.
Start with the parts of the store that customers use most and work through them systematically:
Navigation → Product pages → Cart → Forms → Pop-ups → Images → Visual design → Third-party apps
Use automated tools to find issues, then confirm important problems with keyboard testing and NVDA.
One final reminder
An accessibility checker is a tool, not a verdict.
A score can tell you that you've reduced detectable problems, but it cannot tell you exactly what every customer experiences.
The better question is:
Can someone using a keyboard, screen reader, or other assistive technology browse my store, understand my products, and complete a purchase?
That's the standard worth aiming for.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shopify Accessibility
Is Shopify accessibility only a concern for large stores?
No. Accessibility matters whether you're running a new Shopify store or processing thousands of orders each month.
Smaller stores can also have issues with navigation, images, forms, contrast, pop-ups, and third-party apps. Finding and fixing them early is usually easier than trying to clean up a store after years of changes.
Do I need a perfect accessibility score?
No.
Accessibility tools are useful for finding problems, but a score alone doesn't tell you whether the store is genuinely usable.
A better process is:
Automated scan → fix issues → keyboard test → screen-reader test → rescan
Can I check Shopify accessibility myself?
Yes. Store owners can identify many common problems using tools such as Accessible Web Helper, Siteimprove Accessibility Checker, WAVE, Lighthouse, keyboard-only testing, and NVDA.
For complicated issues, particularly those involving theme code, third-party apps, or legal matters, you may need help from a developer or accessibility specialist.
Do I need to test every product page?
Not necessarily.
If hundreds of products use the same product-page template, start by checking the template and then test several live products to make sure there aren't product-specific problems.
The same principle applies to collection pages and other shared components.
Can Shopify apps make my store inaccessible?
Yes.
An app can add its own menus, pop-ups, widgets, forms, or other interactive elements. Those components need to be tested separately from the theme.
Are accessibility apps or overlays enough?
Don't assume so.
They may provide useful functionality, but you should still test the actual storefront. Your theme, page-builder content, customizations, and third-party apps can contain problems that an overlay doesn't eliminate.
What is the easiest way to start?
Start with your homepage.
Run an accessibility scan, then check:
Keyboard navigation → Main menu → Search → Product page → Cart → Forms → Pop-ups
After that, repeat the process for your important landing pages and other templates.
How often should I check accessibility?
Check after major theme changes, new landing pages, app installations, navigation or cart changes, and other significant storefront updates.
For a frequently changing store, regular recurring checks are even better.
What if I receive an accessibility legal notice?
Take it seriously and get appropriate legal advice. At the same time, document the issues mentioned, test the affected pages, and begin a structured technical review.
Don't assume that a high accessibility score proves that the legal concern is unfounded.
Final Thoughts: Make Accessibility Part of Your Shopify Store
Accessibility is easy to postpone when you're focused on sales, product launches, advertising, and everything else that comes with running a Shopify store.
But it shouldn't take a customer complaint or legal notice to make accessibility a priority.
Start with the basics. Scan your important pages, test your store with a keyboard, use a screen reader such as NVDA, check new landing pages and apps, and fix problems as you find them.
You don't need to solve everything in one day. What matters is having a process and continuing to improve the store as it changes.
A Shopify store should not only be built to sell. It should be built so that as many customers as possible can actually use it.
Need Help Keeping Customers Updated?
Accessibility is only one part of delivering a good customer experience. Keeping customers informed after they place an order is just as important.
Notify Rush helps Shopify merchants automatically keep customers updated about important order events, including delays, shipping updates, and other changes that would otherwise generate unnecessary support requests.
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