Frequently asked questions
What the scanner checks, what automated testing can and cannot find, and what the beta includes. Something missing? Ask us directly.
What is AccessiLume?
AccessiLume is an automated website accessibility scanner. You enter a page URL, the scanner checks it against WCAG-based accessibility rules, and you get a score, the failed rules ranked by severity, the affected elements, and step-by-step fix guidance. Reports can be downloaded as PDF.
Is AccessiLume free?
Yes — AccessiLume is free while it is in public beta. There are no paid plans yet and no payment details are collected. Paid tiers will be introduced after the beta ends. See pricing for the current status.
Which accessibility standards does the scanner check?
Scans run against WCAG success criteria — the technical standard that laws and policies such as the ADA, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), Section 508, and AODA point to. A scan report shows which WCAG rules failed and how severe each failure is.
Can automated scanning find every accessibility issue?
No. Automated checks reliably catch many common, machine-detectable failures — missing alternative text, contrast problems, broken form labels, invalid ARIA — but some WCAG criteria need human judgment. AccessiLume marks checks that need manual review, and a full conformance claim should always include a manual audit.
Do I need an account to scan a page?
No. Anyone can run a limited number of free scans per day straight from the homepage. A free account adds a dashboard, scan history, rescans with comparison, PDF downloads, and scheduled monitoring of your pages.
What do the score bands mean?
The band puts the score into plain language about what the scan found: 90 and above is “Few Barriers Found”, 75–89 is “Needs Work”, 50–74 is “Major Barriers”, and below 50 is “Critical Issues”. The bands describe detected barriers and their severity. They are not a conformance level, and AccessiLume does not estimate legal exposure — that depends on facts a scanner cannot see, such as your jurisdiction, sector, and whether someone actually encountered a barrier.
Can AccessiLume watch my site continuously?
Yes. With an account you can put pages under monitoring: AccessiLume rescans them on a schedule, tracks the score over time, and shows regressions so a page that was fixed does not quietly break again.