Accessible content checklist
A practical checklist to make your website content more accessible, covering images, text, links, video, and documents.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
This checklist covers the content accessibility actions that are within your control as a website owner. Most items match a WCAG requirement at Level A or AA (the same in WCAG 2.1 and the newer WCAG 2.2). The rest are good practice that goes beyond those levels.
Use this list when you add new content, update existing pages, or do a regular review of your site.
Quick summary
Work through this checklist section by section. Start with images and links — they're the quickest wins. Content accessibility is an ongoing practice, not a one-time fix. Even small improvements make your site more usable for more people.
Images
- Every informational image has alt text that describes what the image shows.
- Alt text does not start with "image of" or "photo of" (screen readers already announce it's an image).
- Alt text is specific and descriptive, not generic ("Our team" instead of "photo").
- Decorative images (purely visual, no information) have empty alt text:
alt="". - Charts, graphs, and infographics have alt text that describes the data they show, or the data is provided in a text table nearby.
- Logo images used as links have alt text naming the company (e.g., "Chykalophia" or "Chykalophia home"). The word "logo" usually isn't needed.
See Alt text explained for full guidance.
Text and headings
- Pages use headings in a logical order: one H1 per page, then H2s for main sections, H3s for sub-sections. Headings are not skipped (no jumping from H1 to H4).
- Headings describe the content of their section — they are not used just to make text look bigger.
- Paragraphs are short (2–4 sentences). There are no large walls of text.
- Plain language is used throughout. Jargon is defined when first used.
- Text is left-aligned (not fully justified). Fully justified text creates uneven spacing that is harder to read.
Links
- Link text describes where the link goes. "See our pricing page" — not "click here."
- Link text makes sense out of context. Screen readers can list all links on a page — each one should be understandable on its own.
- Links that open in a new tab are noted (e.g., "opens in a new window").
- Email addresses and phone numbers are real links (
mailto:andtel:), so visitors can tap or click them to send an email or make a call.
Color and contrast
- Body text meets a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. (WCAG Level AA requirement for normal text.)
- Large text (18pt / 24px or larger, or 14pt bold / just under 19px bold) meets a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
- Information is not conveyed by color alone. (Example: don't use only "red = required field" — add a label or symbol too.)
See Color contrast & readability for how to check your contrast ratio.
Video
- Videos have captions for all spoken content.
- If a video conveys important visual information with no audio explanation, an audio description is provided. (At Level A you can instead publish a text version that also describes what happens on screen; Level AA asks for audio description.)
- Videos do not autoplay with sound.
- Videos can be paused and stopped.
See Using video on your website for full guidance.
Documents and PDFs
- PDFs have document titles set (not just the filename).
- PDFs have document structure (headings, lists) — not just visually formatted text.
- PDFs have alt text on all images within them.
- PDFs include selectable, copyable text — not just a scanned image of text.
See PDFs & documents on your site.
Forms
- Every form field has a visible, persistent label (not just placeholder text that disappears when you type).
- Required fields are clearly marked.
- Error messages are specific — they tell the user what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Forms can be completed using a keyboard alone.
General
- Text can be enlarged up to 200% without losing content or breaking anything.
- Zoomed in to 400%, pages rearrange to fit so visitors don't have to scroll sideways to read.
- There is no content that flashes more than three times per second (can trigger seizures).
- Pages have descriptive, unique titles (visible in the browser tab and used by screen readers to identify the page).
Common questions
How often should I run through this checklist?
When you add new content or make significant updates to a page. Setting a reminder to do a full review every six months is also a good practice. Accessibility slips over time as content accumulates.
I can't check everything — where do I start?
Images and links give you the biggest impact for the least effort. Fix alt text first. Then review link text to remove all "click here" instances. Those two changes will make a significant difference for screen reader users.
What tool can I use to check contrast ratios?
The WebAIM Contrast Checker (webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker) is free and simple. Enter your text color and background color and it tells you immediately whether you pass. See Color contrast & readability for a full guide.
Who is responsible for making the site accessible — us or Chykalophia?
Both. We are responsible for the technical accessibility of the code we build — keyboard navigation, semantic HTML, ARIA labels, and so on. You are responsible for the content you add — alt text, link text, heading structure, captions. This checklist covers your side of that responsibility.
Related guides
- Web accessibility basics
- Alt text explained
- Color contrast & readability
- Using video on your website
- PDFs & documents on your site
Need a hand?
Learn more
Last updated