Skip to content
https://crossref.org

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
42
GRADE
F
FIX
8
REVIEW
5
PASS
0
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 REVIEW 8 FIX
D
Landmark Structure
Action
4 landmarks
FIX
4 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
Warning::
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
BANNER header MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO footer

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

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

F
Heading Hierarchy
Action
12 headings, 4 skip(s)
FIX
12 headings, 4 skip(s)
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H3 → H5 (missing H4)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H3 → H5 (missing H4)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H3 → H5 (missing H4)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H2 Get involved
  • H2 Find a service
  • H2 Documentation
  • H2 About us
  • H5 2026 April 13 skipped
  • H3 Strengthening community connections in São Paulo
  • H5 2026 April 01 skipped
  • H3 Reflections from Bangkok
  • H5 2026 March 31 skipped
  • H3 Voices from Crossref Metadata Sprint in São Paulo
  • H5 2026 March 30 skipped
  • H3 DOI resolution and deposit outage on 17 March 2026

Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.

Why this matters

No H1 means screen-reader users can't identify the page's primary topic, and Google's content-extraction degrades.

Learn more ▾

The H1 is the document title for assistive tech and a strong signal to search engines about page topic. Pages without one force screen readers to fall back to the <title> attribute or page chrome. Add a single H1 that names the page's primary subject.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

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 ▾

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 ▾

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 ▾

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

F
404 Error Page
Action
HTTP 404, bare page
FIX
HTTP 404, bare page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Warning::
Bare server default 404 page
The 404 page has no custom styling. Users hitting a broken link see a generic error with no way to navigate back. Add a custom 404 page with your site navigation and a search bar.
404 Page Quality Default 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Custom Styling ✗Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
2 icon(s) detected
FIX
2 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
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'>.
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✗ Apple Touch Missing
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✗ Multiple Sizes Missing
D
Web Manifest
Action
Not found
FIX
Not found
Info::
No web manifest found
No manifest at standard paths (/manifest.json, /site.webmanifest). A manifest is optional but enables PWA features like home screen installation and standalone display.

No web manifest found.

D
Dark Mode Support
Action
No dark mode signals
FIX
No dark mode signals
Info::
No dark mode signals detected
Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.
Info::
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.

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
No navigation patterns
FIX
No navigation patterns
Info::
No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected
These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link
Labeled Navigation
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
0 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
B
Alt Text Quality
2 of 8 images have issues
REVIEW
2 of 8 images have issues
Critical::
2 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Info::
6 image(s) with good alt text
8 images 6 good alt text 2 missing
IssueCount
missing2 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

B
Form Accessibility
2 of 2 controls have issues
REVIEW
2 of 2 controls have issues
Warning::
2 control(s) rely on placeholder only
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
Got: <input id="howcanwehelp">; <input type="textxx" name="q" id="metadatasearchbox">
2 controls
0 labeled
2 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#howcanwehelpinput(How can we help you?)placeholder only
#metadatasearchboxtextxx(title, author, DOI, etc)placeholder only

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

<input id="howcanwehelp">; <input type="textxx" name="q" id="metadatasearchbox">

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

C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 4 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

16 pass 4 fail WCAG AA 2 pass AA only
span Home
3.88:1
#000000
on
#407275
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Home
2.26:1
#000000
on
#044F58
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Join
1.82:1
#000000
on
#123F43
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Forum
3.21:1
#000000
on
#595F59
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)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 Get involved21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Find a service13.46:13.0:1
#000000
#FFC72C
Pass
h2 Documentation13.46:13.0:1
#000000
#FFC72C
Pass
h2 About us13.46:13.0:1
#000000
#FFC72C
Pass
title You are Crossref - C…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
p By using our website…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Privacy Policy17.56:14.5:1
#000000
#DDEEF0
Pass
li Menu12.30:14.5:1
#000000
#A2CED2
Pass
span Home3.88:14.5:1
#000000
#407275
Fail
span Home2.26:14.5:1
#000000
#044F58
Fail
span Join1.82:14.5:1
#000000
#123F43
Fail
span Members4.54:14.5:1
#000000
#76756E
Pass
span Documentation5.67:14.5:1
#000000
#938271
Pass
span Forum3.21:14.5:1
#000000
#595F59
Fail
span Blog21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Contact21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Overview21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Become a member21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Events21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Initiatives21.00:14.5:1
#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.

C
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Action
Score 76/100 — 7 failing, 20 passed
REVIEW
76

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
OK body > div#cookie-bar > p > a.cb-enable
You are Crossref div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > span.strap

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Names and labels

Informative elements should aim for short, descriptive alternate text. Decorative elements can be ignored with an empty alt attribute. Learn more about the `alt` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.container > div.row > div.col-md-10 > img.footer-svg div.container > div.row > div.col-md-10 > img.footer-svg
div.container > div.row > div.col-md-10 > img.footer-svg div.container > div.row > div.col-md-10 > img.footer-svg

Link text (and alternate text for images, when used as links) that is discernible, unique, and focusable improves the navigation experience for screen reader users. Learn how to make links accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
body > div#nav2019 > div.social-icons > a
body > div#nav2019 > div.social-icons > a
body > div#nav2019 > div.social-icons > a
body > div#nav2019 > div.social-icons > a body > div#nav2019 > div.social-icons > a

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.

Tables and lists

Screen readers have a specific way of announcing lists. Ensuring proper list structure aids screen reader output. Learn more about proper list structure.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Overview Become a member Events Initiatives Service providers Special programs … div.nav-outer-flex > div.nav-flex > div.nav-col > ul#get-involved-child
Overview Content Registration Grant Linking System (GLS) Metadata Retrieval Ope… div.nav-outer-flex > div.nav-flex > div.nav-col > ul#get-involved-child
Overview Setting up as a member The research nexus Metadata principles and prac… div.nav-outer-flex > div.nav-flex > div.nav-col > ul#get-involved-child
Overview Operations & sustainability Board & governance Strategic agenda and ro… div.nav-outer-flex > div.nav-flex > div.nav-col > ul#get-involved-child

These are opportunities to improve the experience of reading tabular or list data using assistive technology, like a screen reader.

Navigation

A value greater than 0 implies an explicit navigation ordering. Although technically valid, this often creates frustrating experiences for users who rely on assistive technologies. Learn more about the `tabindex` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div > div#tabs-sitesearch > span.algolia-autocomplete > input#howcanwehelp div > div#tabs-sitesearch > span.algolia-autocomplete > input#howcanwehelp

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

Best practices

Touch targets with sufficient size and spacing help users who may have difficulty targeting small controls to activate the targets. Learn more about touch targets.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Join the community div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Get email updates div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Become a member div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Blog div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Fees div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Sponsors div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Status page div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Documentation div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Community forum div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
API Learning Hub div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Jobs div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Operations and sustainability div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Governance div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a
Contact div.container > div.row > div.home-slot > a

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.fa-events-icons-ready html.fa-events-icons-ready

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

○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
●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
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.
●List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[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
○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.
○`[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.
○Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○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