Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

2 PASS 6 REVIEW 5 FIX

Alt Text Quality

Action

2 of 3 images have issues

FIX

2 of 3 images have issues

2 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

2 image-in-link without alt text

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

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

3 images 1 decorative 2 missing

Issue	Count
missing	2 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

Link & Button Quality

Action

5 issue(s) across 12 links and 11 buttons

FIX

5 issue(s) across 12 links and 11 buttons

2 link(s) with no accessible text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

Got: a.yt-simple-endpoint (#861 on page); a#thumbnail

1 link(s) with generic text

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

Got: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/95725 ("Learn more")

2 image-only link(s) without alt text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

Got: a#logo; a#logo

2 button(s) with no accessible text

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

Got: button#button; button#button

7 link(s) with descriptive text

12 links

2 empty

1 generic text

0 new tab

2 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/	YouTube Home	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
/	YouTube Home	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://support.google.com/youtube/answe…	Learn more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Learn more Suggested: 95725
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

16 links and buttons have descriptive text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

a.yt-simple-endpoint (#861 on page); a#thumbnail

Why this matters

Links with no accessible text (empty <a></a>, image-only no alt, icon-only no aria-label) are unidentifiable to screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/95725 ("Learn more")

Why this matters

Generic anchor text ('click here', 'read more', 'learn more') tells screen readers and search engines nothing about the destination.

Learn more ▾

Out-of-context lists of links read by AT (one navigation pattern) become useless when every link says 'click here'. Use the destination's title or topic as anchor text. Doubles as SEO win — Google passes anchor-text relevance to the destination.

Source: WCAG 2.4.4 / Google Search Central

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

a#logo; a#logo

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt are unidentifiable to screen-reader users — link's destination is invisible.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

button#button; button#button

Why this matters

Buttons with no accessible text (icon-only, no aria-label) can't be activated by voice control or understood by screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2

Dark Mode Support

Action

No dark mode signals

FIX

No dark mode signals

No dark mode signals detected

Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles

External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.

Dark ModeNo Dark Mode Detected

color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color Not set ✗CSS indicators Not detected ✗

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

Print Stylesheet

Action

No print styles

FIX

No print styles

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 ✗

Navigation UX

Action

1 navigation pattern(s)

FIX

1 navigation pattern(s)

Search functionality detected

Got: role-search

2 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

Breadcrumbs

Search role='search' landmark

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 2 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.

Landmark Structure

5 landmarks

REVIEW

5 landmarks

<main> landmark present

2 <nav> landmark(s) found

2 of 2 <nav> elements are unlabeled

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

No contentinfo (footer) landmark

Skip navigation link is missing (WCAG 2.4.1)

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Search landmark present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

Why this matters

Some <nav> elements lack aria-label — screen-reader users hear 'navigation' multiple times with no way to distinguish them.

Learn more ▾

When a page has multiple <nav> regions (primary, footer, breadcrumb), each needs aria-label or aria-labelledby. AT users navigate by landmark; identical 'navigation' announcements force them to enter each one to discover purpose.

Source: WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Why this matters

Without a skip-nav link, keyboard users tab through every nav item before reaching content — every page, every visit.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to skip past repeated content. The standard implementation is a 'Skip to main content' link that's the first focusable element, visually hidden until focused. Three lines of HTML + four of CSS.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.1

Heading Hierarchy

4 headings

REVIEW

4 headings

Multiple H1 headings (2 found)

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

2 empty heading(s)

Empty headings appear in the document outline but provide no information.

H1 (empty)
H1 (empty)
H2 Your YouTube history is off
H2 Before you continue to YouTube

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

Why this matters

Multiple H1s blur the page's primary topic — screen-reader users and Google both prefer one H1.

Learn more ▾

HTML5's outline algorithm technically allows multiple H1s within sectioning content, but no browser implements it. In practice: one H1 per page. Use H2-H6 for subsections.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

Empty headings appear in the document outline but provide no information.

Why this matters

Empty <hN> tags break the document outline — screen-reader users navigating by heading hit dead silence.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6

Form Accessibility

2 of 2 controls have issues

REVIEW

2 of 2 controls have issues

1 control(s) without accessible label

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

Got: <select>

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

Got: <input type="text" name="search_query">

2 controls

0 labeled

1 placeholder only

1 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
search_query	text	(Search)	placeholder only
select	select	(none)	none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

Why this matters

Placeholder-only labels disappear when the user starts typing — they must remember what the field was for.

Learn more ▾

Placeholders are NOT labels. They vanish on input, fail color contrast checks (most are gray), and don't satisfy WCAG SC 3.3.2. Always use a real <label> alongside (or aria-labelledby).

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2 / Nielsen Norman

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 404 Not Found ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

14 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

14 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

No apple-touch-icon detected

iOS devices use this when users add your site to their home screen. Add <link rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='180x180' href='/apple-touch-icon.png'>.

Multiple icon sizes detected

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✗ Apple Touch Missing

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✓ Manifest Icons Present

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 83/100 — 4 failing, 23 passed

REVIEW

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.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Learn how to provide sufficient color contrast.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Search YouTube `ytm-search-bar-entry-point-view-model > div.search-bar-entry-point-buttons > div.search-bar-entry-point-button > span.search-bar-entry-point-text`

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
Learn more `div.feed-nudge-text-container > div.feed-nudge-subtitle > span.ytAttributedStringHost > a.ytAttributedStringLink`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Best practices

Disabling zooming is problematic for users with low vision who rely on screen magnification to properly see the contents of a web page. Learn more about the viewport meta tag.

Why this matters

Informational: a Permissions-Policy directive showing feature -> allowed origins.

Source: MDN Permissions-Policy

Failing Elements
head > meta `head > meta`

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

Names and labels

Form elements without effective labels can create frustrating experiences for screen reader users. Learn more about the `select` element.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Afrikaans Azərbaycan Bahasa Indonesia Bahasa Malaysia Bosanski Català Čeština D… `div.custom-language-select > ytm-dropdown-renderer.language-picker-dropdown > ytm-select > select#dropdown:0`

These are opportunities to improve the semantics of the controls in your application. This may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

○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

●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

●Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.

●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.

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[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

○Elements with an ARIA `[role]` that require children to contain a specific `[role]` have all required children.

○`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element

○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.

○Image elements have `[alt]` attributes

○Input buttons have discernible text.

○`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text

○Form elements have associated labels

○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`

○`<object>` elements have alternate text

○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.

○`[lang]` attributes have a valid value

○`<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.

A+

Web Manifest

PWA-ready

PASS

PWA-ready

Meets PWA install criteria

Name present: YouTube

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

Display mode: minimal-ui

PWA Install Criteria ✓ Installable

Name YouTube ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL /?feature=ytca ✓Display Mode minimal-ui ✓

Name YouTube Display Mode minimal-ui Theme Color #FF0033 Background Color #FFFFFF Icons 8 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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
title YouTube	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
tp-yt-paper-tooltip Back	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Skip navigation	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
tp-yt-paper-tooltip Search	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Sign in	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
yt-formatted-string Your YouTube history…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span You can turn on watc…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Learn more	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Update setting	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
yt-formatted-string Saving your choice	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
yt-formatted-string An error occurred wh…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
yt-formatted-string A Google company	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Afrikaans	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Azərbaycan	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Bahasa Indonesia	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Bahasa Malaysia	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Bosanski	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Català	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Čeština	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
option Dansk	21.00:1	4.5:1	#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.

All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.