What the EAAsy scanner detects — and what automation cannot cover

Updated: 2026-06-15

The EAAsy scanner is more than a homepage check. Here is exactly what it tests and how to read the results.

Multi-page scan (sitemap + transactional paths)

The scanner reads your sitemap.xml (and robots.txt) and picks the most important pages itself, instead of just the first links on the homepage. It scans transactional paths first — cart, checkout, payment, forms, login — because that is where a barrier most often blocks the user and carries the highest legal risk under the EAA.

What we test: WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA

The axe-core engine checks WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 criteria at level AA. We also test reflow at 320 px width (WCAG 1.4.10 — whether content fits a phone without horizontal scrolling) and capture screenshots of failing elements, so it is immediately clear what the problem refers to — in the report and in the panel.

Violations vs recommendations

Results split into two groups. WCAG violations count towards the /100 score — they are a legal requirement. Recommendations (best practice) are shown separately: they improve accessibility and UX but are not part of the compliance obligation. So you know what you must fix and what is merely worth fixing.

Sanction risk — how we calculate it

Each finding gets a sanction-risk score (0–100). It is not arbitrary — it reflects how much a barrier blocks use of the service, following EN 301 549 priorities and EAA enforcement practice. Highest: forms, the purchase path, keyboard navigation and contrast. A finding on a transactional page (e.g. checkout) raises the risk.

Monitoring and scan diff

You can enable recurring scans. Comparing successive audits shows what is new, what is fixed and what has returned — proof of due diligence over time and an alert when accessibility regresses.

Limits of automation (~30–40%)

An automated audit detects about 30–40% of WCAG criteria — and we say so honestly. The rest (meaning of content, screen-reader tests, full keyboard operation) cannot be decided by a machine and needs human review. Full legal conformance means automated audit + expert assessment.

← Knowledge base