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

Link & Button Quality

Action

5 issue(s) across 34 links and 3 buttons

FIX

5 issue(s) across 34 links and 3 buttons

4 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: /; https://www.instagram.com/pocketcasts/; https://x.com/pocketcasts; https://bsky.app/profile/pocketcasts.com

1 link(s) with generic text

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

Got: /podcast-player ("Learn More")

4 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts&…; https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id414834813?pt=299112&ct=pocketcasts-c…; https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id414834813?pt=299112&ct=pocketcasts-c…; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts&…

25 link(s) with descriptive text

34 links

4 empty

1 generic text

4 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai…	Google Play	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/i…	App Store	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/podcast-player	Learn More	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Learn More Suggested: Podcast Player
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/i…	App Store	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai…	Google Play	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.instagram.com/pocketcasts/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://x.com/pocketcasts	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://bsky.app/profile/pocketcasts.com	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label

28 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

/; https://www.instagram.com/pocketcasts/; https://x.com/pocketcasts; https://bsky.app/profile/pocketcasts.com

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.

/podcast-player ("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

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

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts&…; https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id414834813?pt=299112&ct=pocketcasts-c…; https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id414834813?pt=299112&ct=pocketcasts-c…; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts&…

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

Web Manifest

Action

Invalid JSON

FIX

Invalid JSON

Manifest contains invalid JSON

Manifest at https://pca.st/site.webmanifest contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://pca.st/site.webmanifest

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

Dark Mode Support

Action

Theme color only

FIX

Theme color only

Theme-color present but no dark variant

A theme-color is set but no dark-specific variant was found. The browser toolbar may not adapt for dark mode users.

Got: #f7f9fa

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 ModePartial Dark Mode

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

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

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 1 <nav> element(s)

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.

Heading Hierarchy

Action

13 headings, 1 skip(s)

REVIEW

13 headings, 1 skip(s)

No H1 heading found

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

H2 Beautifully designed.
H2 Feature rich. Yours.
H3 The best. Now free.
H3 Easy to use
H3 Curated by experts
H2 Why Pocket Casts?
H2 Read all about it
H4 It keeps getting better. skipped
H4 The complete package
H2 “It’s smart listening, made simple”
H2 Products
H2 Company
H2 Newsletter

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

Alt Text Quality

2 of 27 images have issues

REVIEW

2 of 27 images have issues

2 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

25 image(s) with good alt text

27 images 25 good alt text 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

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 Page not found ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

7 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

7 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 Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 18 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

2 pass 18 fail WCAG AA

h2 Beautifully designed.

1.18:1

#000000

#320907

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · mid-page

h2 Feature rich. Yours.

1.18:1

#000000

#320907

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · mid-page

h2 Why Pocket Casts?

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Read all about it

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 “

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 It’s smart listening, made simple

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 ”

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Products

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Company

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Newsletter

2.35:1

#000000

#8A2420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h3 The best. Now free.

1.17:1

#000000

#310908

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · mid-page

h3 Easy to use

2.29:1

#000000

#87231F

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Curated by experts

2.34:1

#000000

#892420

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

a Plans

4.32:1

#000000

#866B6A

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient

a Advertise your Podcast

1.20:1

#000000

#360907

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Podcaster resources

1.20:1

#000000

#360907

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Blog

1.20:1

#000000

#360907

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

div Support

1.20:1

#000000

#360907

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

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
h2 Beautifully designed…	1.18:1	3.0:1	#000000	#320907	Fail
h2 Feature rich. Yours.	1.18:1	3.0:1	#000000	#320907	Fail
h2 Why Pocket Casts?	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 Read all about it	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 “	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 It’s smart listeni…	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 ”	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 Products	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 Company	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h2 Newsletter	2.35:1	3.0:1	#000000	#8A2420	Fail
h3 The best. Now free.	1.17:1	3.0:1	#000000	#310908	Fail
h3 Easy to use	2.29:1	3.0:1	#000000	#87231F	Fail
h3 Curated by experts	2.34:1	3.0:1	#000000	#892420	Fail
title Listen to podcasts w…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Navigated to Listen …	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Plans	4.32:1	4.5:1	#000000	#866B6A	Fail
a Advertise your Podca…	1.20:1	4.5:1	#000000	#360907	Fail
a Podcaster resources	1.20:1	4.5:1	#000000	#360907	Fail
a Blog	1.20:1	4.5:1	#000000	#360907	Fail
div Support	1.20:1	4.5:1	#000000	#360907	Fail

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.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 84/100 — 4 failing, 18 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
Learn More `section._whySection_ygaxm_230 > div._whyContent_ygaxm_241 > div._learnMoreWrapper_ygaxm_246 > a._learnMoreLink_ygaxm_255`
(June 14, 2019) `main._main_1qsqa_28 > section._quoteSection_ygaxm_357 > div._quoteSectionContent_ygaxm_380 > p._quoteSectionDate_ygaxm_390`
div._formContainer_o49hq_1 > form > div._inputContainer_o49hq_7 > input#EMAIL `div._formContainer_o49hq_1 > form > div._inputContainer_o49hq_7 > input#EMAIL`

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
It keeps getting better. `div._testimonialsRow_ygaxm_313 > div._testimonialLeft_ygaxm_321 > div._wrapper_6uj0r_1 > h4._title_6uj0r_15`

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
section._whySection_ygaxm_230 > div._whyImageColumn_ygaxm_274 > figure._whyFigure_ygaxm_280 > img._whyImage_ygaxm_274 `section._whySection_ygaxm_230 > div._whyImageColumn_ygaxm_274 > figure._whyFigure_ygaxm_280 > img._whyImage_ygaxm_274`
div._container_ygaxm_1 > section._pressSection_ygaxm_301 > figure > img `div._container_ygaxm_1 > section._pressSection_ygaxm_301 > figure > img`

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
div._container_1qsqa_2 > header._header_q1sx8_1 > div._leftSection_q1sx8_13 > a._logoLink_q1sx8_20 `div._container_1qsqa_2 > header._header_q1sx8_1 > div._leftSection_q1sx8_13 > a._logoLink_q1sx8_20`

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

●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

●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.

●Document has a main landmark.

●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

○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

○Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

○Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).

○List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements

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

○`<object>` elements have alternate text

○Select elements have associated label elements.

○Skip links are focusable.

○No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0

○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.

○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.

Landmark Structure

4 landmarks

PASS

4 landmarks

<main> landmark present

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

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

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

1 of 1 controls have issues

PASS

1 of 1 controls have issues

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

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

Got: <input type="email" name="email" id="EMAIL">

1 controls

0 labeled

1 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#EMAIL	email	(Email address)	placeholder only

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

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