Accessibility

D

Heading Hierarchy

Action

28 headings, 3 skip(s)

FIX

28 headings, 3 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: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

1 empty heading(s)

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

H1 (empty)
H2 How To Improve UX In Legacy Systems
H2 Identifying Necessary Transparency Moments In Agentic AI (Part 1)
H2 A Practical Guide To Design Principles
H2 Accessible Front-End Components
H2 CSS Generators & Tools
H2 Front-End Boilerplates & Starter Kits
H4 Latest Posts skipped
H2 The Joy Of A Fresh Beginning (April 2026 Wallpapers Edition)
H2 The Site-Search Paradox: Why The Big Box Always Wins
H2 Testing Font Scaling For Accessibility With Figma Variables
H2 Modal vs. Separate Page: UX Decision Tree
H2 Anime vs. Marvel/DC: Designing Digital Products With Emotion In Flow
H2 Moving From Moment.js To The JS Temporal API
H2 Beyond border-radius: What The CSS corner-shape Property Unlocks For Everyday UI
H2 Building Dynamic Forms In React And Next.js
H2 That’s The Smashing Family.
H3 Smashing Magazine is so much more than articles.
H2 Boost Your Skills Online,On Front-End, Design & UX
H4 Community Links skipped
H4 Person Of The Week
H2 How To Set Up A UX Copy Ecosystem
H2 Designing For People With Low Vision
H2 Top Vs. Side Navigation
H2 Neurodiversity And UX
H2 Designing Human-AI Oversight
H2 Making A Case For Accessibility
H4 Browse All Smashing Magazine Topics skipped

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

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

F

Web Manifest

Action

Valid manifest

FIX

Valid manifest

No name or short_name

Add a name field to identify the app.

No 192x192 icon

A 192px icon is required for PWA installation.

PWA Install Criteria Not Installable

Name ✗192×192 icon ✗512×512 icon ✗Start URL / ✓Display Mode ✗

D

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: #d33a2c

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.

D

Navigation UX

Action

2 navigation pattern(s)

FIX

2 navigation pattern(s)

Skip navigation link detected

Back-to-top link detected

3 navigation landmark(s) detected

Breadcrumbs

Search

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)

Back to Top

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

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

B

Form Accessibility

2 of 4 controls have issues

REVIEW

2 of 4 controls have issues

2 control(s) without accessible label

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

Got: <input type="submit" name="submit" id="js-search-submit">; <input type="submit" name="subscribe">

2 control(s) properly labeled

4 controls

2 labeled

0 placeholder only

2 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#js-search-input	search	Search articles	aria-label
#mce-EMAIL-hp	email	Your (smashing) email	for/id
#js-search-submit	submit	(none)	none
subscribe	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

C

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

SVG favicon detected — scales perfectly to any size

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✓ SVG Favicon Present

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

C

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 5 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

15 pass 5 fail WCAG AA

title Smashing Magazine — For Web Designers …

4.41:1

#000000

on

#D33A2C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Skip to main content

4.41:1

#000000

on

#D33A2C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Jump to list of all articles

4.41:1

#000000

on

#D33A2C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Jump to all topics

4.30:1

#000000

on

#D0392C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Articles

4.30:1

#000000

on

#D0392C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h2 That’s The Smashin…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Smashing Magazine is…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title Smashing Magazine �…	4.41:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D33A2C	Fail
a Skip to main content	4.41:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D33A2C	Fail
a Jump to list of all …	4.41:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D33A2C	Fail
a Jump to all topics	4.30:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D0392C	Fail
a Articles	4.30:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D0392C	Fail
a Books	19.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFF1F1	Pass
a Events	19.63:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFF5F5	Pass
a Membership	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Newsletter	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Write for us	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Advertise	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span More	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Less	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Menu	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Less	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Articles	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Books	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Events	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.

A+

Landmark Structure

25 landmarks

PASS

25 landmarks

<main> landmark present

3 <nav> landmark(s) found

All <nav> elements are properly labeled

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 26 images OK

PASS

All 26 images OK

26 image(s) with good alt text

26 images 26 good alt text

All images have appropriate alt text.

A

Link & Button Quality

1 issue(s) across 208 links and 3 buttons

PASS

1 issue(s) across 208 links and 3 buttons

1 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: https://mastodon.social/@smashingmag

207 link(s) with descriptive text

208 links

1 empty

0 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://mastodon.social/@smashingmag	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label

210 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://mastodon.social/@smashingmag

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

A

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

PASS

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

Homepage link present on 404 page

Search form present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Back to top ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: /css/print.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet /css/print.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

A

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 92/100 — 3 failing, 26 passed

PASS

92

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
Accessibility `nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary > li.subnav-item > a.nav-item-link`
UX `nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary > li.subnav-item > a.nav-item-link`
CSS `nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary > li.subnav-item > a.nav-item-link`
JavaScript `nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary > li.subnav-item > a.nav-item-link`
Performance `nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary > li.subnav-item > a.nav-item-link`

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
LATEST POSTS `section.curated-articles-container > div.container > div.row > h4.vertical`
COMMUNITY LINKS `section.curated-articles-container > div.container > div.row > h4.vertical`
div.container > div.col-12 > div.footer__topics > h4#topics `div.container > div.col-12 > div.footer__topics > h4#topics`

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
Menu `body#home > header.global-header > nav.main-nav > ul.main-nav__primary`
Accessibility UX CSS JavaScript Performance Design Figma Wallpapers React Vue R… `body#home > header#all-topics > nav.subnav > ul.subnav__primary`

These are opportunities to improve the experience of reading tabular or list data using 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

●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes

●Input buttons have discernible text.

●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.

●`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role

●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.

●Links have a discernible name

●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.

●Skip links are focusable.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Identical links have the same purpose.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

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

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

○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 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.

○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.