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 5 REVIEW 6 FIX

Heading Hierarchy

Action

34 headings, 2 skip(s)

FIX

34 headings, 2 skip(s)

Single H1 present

Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

Heading level skipped: H1 → H4 (missing H2)

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

7 empty heading(s)

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

H3 APPLY
H3 SHOP
H3 NEWS & FEATURES
H3 BOOKS
H3 GWR FOR BUSINESS
H3 FUN FOR KIDS
H3 ABOUT US
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H4 (empty)
H3 Are you ear-ing this? Australian artist surgically implanted an extra ear on to his arm
H3 How a Paris bridge nearly collapsed under 45 tonnes of love
H3 Lucky rabbit Herbie becomes oldest of his species after doubling life expectancy
H3 What is the strongest part of the human body? These records might surprise you!
H3 Marvel obsessive breaks record by covering body in over 60 tattoos of iconic characters
H3 These stilts were made for walkin’: Chinese man travelled 50 miles in sky-high shoes
H3 Bricks and spaceships: a ‘Project Hail Mary’ LEGO minifig has made it to space
H2 Record breaking for businesses and brands
H4 Creative campaigns skipped
H4 Employee engagement
H4 GWR Studios
H4 View our case studies
H2 GWR for Business
H1 Don't miss
H4 Guinness World Records Kids skipped
H4 Break a record at a marathon
H4 Take the quiz
H5 USING THIS SITE
H5 CONTACT US
H2 Privacy & Transparency

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

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 ▾

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

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

404 Error Page

Action

Soft 404 detected

FIX

Soft 404 detected

Soft 404: server returns HTTP 200 for non-existent pages

The server returns HTTP 200 for a path that does not exist. Search engines will index these pages, diluting your real content. Configure your server to return a proper 404 status code for missing pages.

Got: Status: 200 for /beavercheck-404-test-1r6j3d

404 Page Quality ✗ Soft 404 (HTTP 200)

Status Code: HTTP 200

The server returned HTTP 200 for a non-existent path. Search engines will index this page as real content. Configure your server to return HTTP 404 for missing pages.

Web Manifest

Action

Invalid JSON

FIX

Invalid JSON

Manifest contains invalid JSON

Manifest at https://guinnessworldrecords.com/site.webmanifest contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://guinnessworldrecords.com/site.webmanifest

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

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

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

2 navigation landmark(s) detected

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 2 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.

Landmark Structure

16 landmarks

REVIEW

16 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.

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.

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

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: <input type="submit">

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

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

Got: <input type="text" id="userInput">

2 controls

0 labeled

1 placeholder only

1 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#userInput	text	(Search...)	placeholder only
input	submit	(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

Link & Button Quality

1 issue(s) across 120 links and 6 buttons

REVIEW

1 issue(s) across 120 links and 6 buttons

1 link(s) with generic text

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

Got: # ("")

28 link(s) open in new tab without warning

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

Got: https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/collections/certificates-medals; https://gwrstore.com/collections/guinness-world-records-books; https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/pages/record-holder-zone; /gwrstudios/index.html; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/set-a-record/; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/videos/ (+18 more)

91 link(s) with descriptive text

120 links

0 empty

1 generic text

28 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://gwrstore.com/	SHOP	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
#	More	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: More Suggested: #
https://gwrstore.com/	SHOP	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://gwrstore.com/collections/certifi…	Certificates	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://gwrstore.com/collections/guinnes…	Books	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://gwrstore.com/	Merchandise	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://gwrstore.com/pages/record-holder…	Record Holder Zone	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/gwrstudios/index.html	TV & Content Licensing	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/	FUN FOR KIDS	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/re…	Records	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/vi…	Videos	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/ga…	Games	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/Qu…	Quizzes	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/st…	Stories	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
http://www.facebook.com/GuinnessWorldRec…	Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://twitter.com/GWR	Twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/guinnes…	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.pinterest.com/GWRecords/	Pinterest	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
http://www.youtube.com/user/GuinnessWorl…	YouTube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://instagram.com/guinnessworldrecor…	Instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.tiktok.com/@guinnessworldrec…	Tiktok	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/dir…	Advertise with us	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
http://www.facebook.com/GuinnessWorldRec…	Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://twitter.com/GWR	Twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/guinnes…	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.pinterest.com/GWRecords/	Pinterest	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
http://www.youtube.com/user/GuinnessWorl…	YouTube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://instagram.com/guinnessworldrecor…	Instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.tiktok.com/@guinnessworldrec…	Tiktok	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

97 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

# ("")

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

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/collections/certificates-medals; https://gwrstore.com/collections/guinness-world-records-books; https://gwrstore.com/; https://gwrstore.com/pages/record-holder-zone; /gwrstudios/index.html; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/set-a-record/; https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/videos/ (+18 more)

Why this matters

Links with target="_blank" without rel="noopener" leak the originating page's window context — security and UX issue.

Learn more ▾

Without rel="noopener", the new tab can navigate the original tab via window.opener (tab-nabbing attack). Modern browsers default to noopener for target=_blank but only since recent versions. Always set rel="noopener noreferrer" explicitly.

Source: MDN target / OWASP

Favicon & Branding

Action

4 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

4 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 6 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

14 pass 6 fail WCAG AA 3 pass AA only

title Home | Guinness World Records

1.19:1

#000000

#091A2B

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

div Menu

1.19:1

#000000

#091A2B

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a APPLY

3.73:1

#000000

#2B707F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a SHOP

3.40:1

#000000

#176A7E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a NEWS & FEATURES

2.32:1

#000000

#414A51

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a BOOKS

2.54:1

#000000

#4B4F53

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

1 contrast failures on background images/gradients

These failures are invisible to CSS-based accessibility tools like Lighthouse. The text may be fine on a solid background, but fails when rendered over an image or gradient.

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Don't miss	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Record breaking for …	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 GWR for Business	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Privacy & Transparen…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Are you ear-ing this…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 How a Paris bridge n…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Lucky rabbit Herbie …	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 What is the stronges…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Marvel obsessive bre…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 These stilts were ma…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Bricks and spaceship…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title Home \| Guinness Worl…	1.19:1	4.5:1	#000000	#091A2B	Fail
div Menu	1.19:1	4.5:1	#000000	#091A2B	Fail
a APPLY	3.73:1	4.5:1	#000000	#2B707F	Fail
a SHOP	3.40:1	4.5:1	#000000	#176A7E	Fail
a NEWS & FEATURES	2.32:1	4.5:1	#000000	#414A51	Fail
a BOOKS	2.54:1	4.5:1	#000000	#4B4F53	Fail
a ABOUT US	5.24:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7F7F7F	Pass
a GWR FOR BUSINESS	5.24:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7F7F7F	Pass
span English	5.24:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7F7F7F	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+

Alt Text Quality

All 30 images OK

PASS

All 30 images OK

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

29 image(s) with good alt text

30 images 29 good alt text 1 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 95/100 — 2 failing, 27 passed

PASS

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
EN `div.menu > div.nav-links > a#globe > span.two-letter-iso-code`
Are you ear-ing this? Australian artist surgically implanted an extra ear on to… `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
How a Paris bridge nearly collapsed under 45 tonnes of love `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
Lucky rabbit Herbie becomes oldest of his species after doubling life expectancy `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
What is the strongest part of the human body? These records might surprise you! `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
Marvel obsessive breaks record by covering body in over 60 tattoos of iconic ch… `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
These stilts were made for walkin’: Chinese man travelled 50 miles in sky-high … `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
Bricks and spaceships: a ‘Project Hail Mary’ LEGO minifig has made it to space `a > article.news-item > header > h3`
More news `section.component-wrapper > div.container > div.fullwidth-cta-holder > a.btn`
Creative campaigns `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`
Employee engagement `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`
GWR Studios `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`
View our case studies `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`
Visit business solutions `section.component-wrapper > div.container > div.cta-holder > a.btn`
Shop Now `section.component-wrapper > div.container > div.fullwidth-cta-holder > a.btn`
USING THIS SITE `footer#footer > div.container > section.footer-section > h5`
CONTACT US `footer#footer > div.container > section.footer-section > h5`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Navigation

Properly ordered headings that do not skip levels convey the semantic structure of the page, making it easier to navigate and understand when using assistive technologies. Learn more about heading order.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Creative campaigns `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`
Guinness World Records Kids `a > div.columned-text > div.container > h4.columned-text-title`

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

○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

●`[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

●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.

●`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

●Document has a `<title>` element

●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title

●`<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.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●All heading elements contain content.

●Identical links have the same purpose.

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements 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

○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

○`<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

○Form elements have associated labels

○Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

○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.

○`[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>`.

○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.

○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.