Skip to content
https://mastodon.social

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
59
GRADE
D
FIX
4
REVIEW
4
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 4 REVIEW 4 FIX
D
Alt Text Quality
Action
2 of 36 images have issues
FIX
2 of 36 images have issues
Critical::
2 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Critical::
2 image-in-link without alt text
An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.
Info::
7 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
23 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
4 image(s) with good alt text
36 images 4 good alt text 23 decorative 2 missing
IssueCount
missing2 image(s)
too long7 image(s)

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

Why this matters

Each image without alt text is a WCAG 1.1.1 failure — invisible to screen-reader users, lost from Google Image Search.

Learn more

WCAG 2.1 Level A requires text alternatives for non-decorative images. Empty alt='' is fine for decorative; meaningful images need descriptive text. Common fixes: CMS audit + bulk add, build-time linter (alt-text-required ESLint rule), CI gate on Lighthouse a11y score.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.1.1 / WebAIM Million Report

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt create empty links — screen-reader users hear 'link' with no destination context.

Learn more

An <a><img></a> with no img alt is the worst-case for accessibility: AT announces the link but can't describe where it goes. Either add alt to the image OR add aria-label to the link.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

D
Print Stylesheet
Action
No print styles
FIX
No print styles
Info::
No print-specific styles detected
When users print this page, they get the screen layout including navigation and non-essential elements. Add @media print rules to hide navigation and optimize layout for paper.
Print Stylesheet No Print Styles
Print stylesheet Not found Inline @media print Not detected
F
Navigation UX
Action
1 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
1 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
2 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
C
Landmark Structure
Action
1 landmarks
REVIEW
1 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Warning::
No <nav> landmark found
Info::
No banner (header) landmark
Info::
No contentinfo (footer) landmark
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER (missing!) MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO (missing!)

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

C
404 Error Page
Action
HTTP 404, custom page
REVIEW
HTTP 404, custom page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Info::
Custom styled 404 page
404 Page Quality Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 Page Title The page you are looking for isn't here. - Mastodon Custom Styling Navigation Homepage Link Search Form
C
Favicon & Branding
Action
23 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
23 icon(s) detected
Warning::
No favicon.ico at site root
Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
favicon.ico Missing
PNG Icons Present
Apple Touch Present
SVG Favicon Missing
Manifest Icons Present
Multiple Sizes Present
B
Dark Mode Support
Dark mode detected
REVIEW
Dark mode detected
Info::
Dark-specific theme-color detected
A theme-color with media='(prefers-color-scheme: dark)' adapts the browser toolbar for dark mode.
Info::
prefers-color-scheme CSS detected in inline styles
Info::
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles
External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.
Dark Mode Dark Mode Supported
color-scheme meta Not set Dark theme-color #181820 CSS indicators Detected

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

A
Heading Hierarchy
5 headings, 1 skip(s)
PASS
5 headings, 1 skip(s)
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H4 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 Trending
  • H4 Recent searches skipped
  • H4 Search options
  • H4 Recent searches
  • H4 Search options

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Why this matters

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline — screen-reader users lose track of section nesting.

Learn more

Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings (H1 → H2 → H3). Skipping (H1 → H3) breaks the sense of hierarchy. Use sequential levels even if you don't like the default styling — restyle with CSS instead. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) treats this as an A failure.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

A+
Form Accessibility
All 2 controls labeled
PASS
All 2 controls labeled
Info::
2 control(s) properly labeled
2 controls
2 labeled
0 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
inputtextSearcharia-label
inputtextSearcharia-label
A+
Web Manifest
PWA-ready
PASS
PWA-ready
Info::
Meets PWA install criteria
Info::
Name present: Mastodon
Info::
192x192 icon present
Info::
512x512 icon present
Info::
Display mode: standalone
PWA Install Criteria Installable
Name Mastodon 192×192 icon 512×512 icon Start URL / Display Mode standalone
Name Mastodon Display Mode standalone Theme Color #191b22 Background Color #191b22 Icons 9 icon(s)
A+
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA
PASS

Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.

20 pass
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
title Trending - Mastodon21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to main content21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Hotkey21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to main navigat…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Hotkey21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Trending21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h4 Recent searches21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div No recent searches21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h4 Search options21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div Only available when …21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div Posts21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div Hashtags21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div News21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
strong War and Peas21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span @warandpeas21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button ALT21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Hide21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span 14221.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span 27721.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
strong David Jonathan Ross21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass

Methodology: The top 20 text elements by font size were checked. Background color was sampled from the desktop screenshot using a 5-point pattern. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

A
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 91/100 — 4 failing, 25 passed
PASS
91

Accessibility

These checks highlight opportunities to improve the accessibility of your web app. Automatic detection can only detect a subset of issues and does not guarantee the accessibility of your web app, so manual testing is also encouraged.

ARIA

Some ARIA parent roles must contain specific child roles to perform their intended accessibility functions. Learn more about roles and required children elements.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
3h War and Peas 🧿 @warandpeas ALT Hide 3 142 277 4h * David Jonathan Ross @djrr… div.columns-area > div.column > div.scrollable > div.item-list

These are opportunities to improve the usage of ARIA in your application which may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Link text that is discernible improves the experience for users with low vision. Learn how to make links distinguishable.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
@FontsInUse div.status__content__text > p > span.h-card > a.mention

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Best practices

One main landmark helps screen reader users navigate a web page. Learn more about landmarks.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
html.custom-scrollbars html.custom-scrollbars

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

Visible text labels that do not match the accessible name can result in a confusing experience for screen reader users. Learn more about accessible names.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
3 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
142 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
277 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
13 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
144 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
255 div.status > div.status__action-bar > div.status__action-bar__button-wrapper > button.status__action-bar__button
Interactive controls are keyboard focusable
Interactive elements indicate their purpose and state
The page has a logical tab order
Visual order on the page follows DOM order
User focus is not accidentally trapped in a region
The user's focus is directed to new content added to the page
HTML5 landmark elements are used to improve navigation
Offscreen content is hidden from assistive technology
Custom controls have associated labels
Custom controls have ARIA roles
`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles
`[aria-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`
`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes
`[role]` values are valid
`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
Buttons have an accessible name
Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
Form elements have associated labels
`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents
Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio
Document has a `<title>` element
`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
Links have a discernible name
Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
`[lang]` attributes have a valid value
Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
`[accesskey]` values are unique
`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
ARIA input fields have accessible names
ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element
Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.
ARIA toggle fields have accessible names
ARIA `tooltip` elements have accessible names
ARIA `treeitem` elements have accessible names
The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region
`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.
Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements
ARIA IDs are unique
No form fields have multiple labels
`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title
`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.
Input buttons have discernible text.
`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text
The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
`<object>` elements have alternate text
Select elements have associated label elements.
Skip links are focusable.
Cells in a `<table>` element that use the `[headers]` attribute refer to table cells within the same table.
`<th>` elements and elements with `[role="columnheader"/"rowheader"]` have data cells they describe.
`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`
Tables have different content in the summary attribute and `<caption>`.
All heading elements contain content.
Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
Identical links have the same purpose.
Tables use `<caption>` instead of cells with the `[colspan]` attribute to indicate a caption.
`<td>` elements in a large `<table>` have one or more table headers.
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

Send Feedback