Most Shopify stores have accessibility problems. Here is what a real audit covers, which issues come up most often, and what is worth fixing first.
I audit Shopify stores against WCAG 2.1 Level AA and help owners and developers understand what needs fixing and in what order. If that’s what you need, my contact form can help you fix your issues.
Why Shopify stores specifically struggle
The platform itself has made real progress on accessibility. The core checkout flow, for example, has improved significantly in recent years. But the ecosystem around it is patchy.
Even paid premium themes often have issues, focus indicators get removed because they look ugly. Carousels and sliders are built without keyboard controls. Modals don’t trap focus or restore it when closed. These aren’t edge cases but WCAG fails.
Shopify’s app ecosystem is huge, reviews widgets, loyalty programmes, live chat, pop-up builders, cookie banners. Almost all of these inject their own HTML and JavaScript into your storefront, and almost none of them prioritise accessibility. Each one is a potential source of new barriers.
If you’ve had a developer customise your theme or build something bespoke, the accessibility of that work depends entirely on what the developer knew and cared about at the time.
What a Shopify accessibility audit covers
A proper audit goes page by page through your key templates and journeys: homepage, collection pages, individual product pages, cart, and checkout. It tests with a keyboard. It tests with a screen reader.
What’s worth fixing first
The highest-priority items are the ones that block core journeys: a screen reader user being unable to add a product to their cart, or being unable to complete checkout, is a critical failure. Suboptimal alt text on secondary images is a lower priority.
A note on Shopify-specific constraints
Some things are easier to fix than others on Shopify. Liquid templates are very customisable. App-injected content is harder, because you may not control the code. The checkout on non-Plus plans has limited customisation options. A useful audit tells you not just what’s wrong but where the fix lives and how achievable it is given your setup.
If you want a WCAG audit of your Shopify store, or you’re a Shopify developer who wants code review on a theme build, get in touch via my contact form. I work with both store owners and developers depending on the situation.
