How do I check my Shopify store's accessibility?

No authority certifies a website as ADA compliant, so there’s no registry to check against. What you can do is evaluate your store against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Start by scanning for the common, machine-detectable issues—missing alternative text, low contrast, unlabeled form fields—then follow up with manual evaluation, ideally including testing with people who use assistive technology.

What's the fastest way to make my Shopify store ADA compliant?

There’s no fast route to compliance, and treating it as one is how stores end up with a false sense of security. The fastest useful step is to address the machine-detectable issues. Installing the UserWay Accessibility Widget takes a few minutes and addresses many common WCAG issues straight away, and fixing your alternative text is something you can do yourself today. The remaining work—manual evaluation, code-level fixes, and keeping it that way as your store changes—takes longer and there’s no shortcut.

Why should I make my Shopify store accessible?

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Disability and Health Data System, roughly one in four U.S. adults lives with a disability as of 2023. A storefront with accessibility barriers is one they can’t buy from. Beyond the commercial case, most digital accessibility lawsuits cite barriers that map to WCAG failures, and addressing them helps limit your legal risk. The same work tends to improve the store for everyone: clearer contrast, better labeling, and a keyboard-navigable checkout are usability wins, not only accessibility ones.

How do I remove the UserWay app from Shopify?

If you need help uninstalling the UserWay Shopify app, our support team will be glad to help. Just reach us through Shopify’s chat function. To uninstall it yourself: On the left menu of your Shopify Admin page select “Apps”; search for “UserWay Website Accessibility” and select “Delete.” Then choose a reason from the dropdown and select “Delete” again.

How do I check my Shopify store's accessibility?

No authority certifies a website as ADA compliant, so there's no registry to check against. What you can do is evaluate your store against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Start by scanning for the common, machine-detectable issues—missing alternative text, low contrast, unlabeled form fields—then follow up with manual evaluation, ideally including testing with people who use assistive technology.

What's the fastest way to make my Shopify store ADA compliant?

There's no fast route to compliance, and treating it as one is how stores end up with a false sense of security. The fastest useful step is to address the machine-detectable issues. Installing the UserWay Accessibility Widget takes a few minutes and addresses many common WCAG issues straight away, and fixing your alternative text is something you can do yourself today. The remaining work—manual evaluation, code-level fixes, and keeping it that way as your store changes—takes longer and there’s no shortcut.

Why should I make my Shopify store accessible?

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Disability and Health Data System, roughly one in four U.S. adults lives with a disability as of 2023. A storefront with accessibility barriers is one they can't buy from. Beyond the commercial case, most digital accessibility lawsuits cite barriers that map to WCAG failures, and addressing them helps limit your legal risk. The same work tends to improve the store for everyone: clearer contrast, better labeling, and a keyboard-navigable checkout are usability wins, not only accessibility ones.

How do I remove the UserWay app from Shopify?

If you need help uninstalling the UserWay Shopify app, our support team will be glad to help. Just reach us through Shopify's chat function. To uninstall it yourself: On the left menu of your Shopify Admin page select "Apps"; search for "UserWay Website Accessibility" and select "Delete.” Then choose a reason from the dropdown and select "Delete" again.

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Shopify ADA Compliance: How to Add the UserWay Accessibility Widget to Your Store

December 12, 2022

Shopify gives you a storefront that works out of the box. But it does not give you a storefront that’s accessible out of the box.

The same issues turn up on most stores. Themes ship with color-contrast problems, third-party apps inject markup nobody audits, and product images arrive without alternative text as fast as you can upload them. Any one of these barriers can stop a buyer from completing an order—and trigger a digital accessibility lawsuit.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is an obligation that sits with you, the store owner. It doesn’t sit with Shopify, and it doesn’t sit with any app you install. The UserWay Accessibility Widget addresses many common Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) issues automatically and supports your ADA compliance efforts from day one. It’s a strong starting point, but it’s not the finish line. This guide covers both sides: what you’re responsible for, and how to install the Widget on your store in a few minutes.

Is Shopify ADA compliant?

Shopify is not ADA compliant by default, and ADA compliance is not a setting you can switch on. Shopify doesn’t check individual stores for WCAG conformance, and not every preset theme, app, or configuration meets these guidelines.

Three versions of WCAG are currently in use: 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2. Aim for WCAG 2.2 Level AA, the most recent, since content that conforms to 2.2 also conforms to 2.1 and 2.0. In April 2024, the US Department of Justice set WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for web content provided by state and local governments under ADA Title II. That rule doesn’t cover private stores, but it indicates which version the Department treats as the benchmark.

What am I responsible for?

As the store owner, you’re responsible for the accessibility of your content, your design, and your functionality—including anything a third-party app adds to your storefront. That obligation comes from the law itself, so it’s worth understanding what the ADA requires of digital storefronts.

No automated tool or accessibility widget can make a Shopify store fully ADA compliant or fully WCAG conformant on its own. That’s true of every vendor in this category, including us. Full conformance requires fixing issues in the underlying code, which automation can’t do alone. The UserWay Accessibility Widget addresses many common WCAG issues and supports your ADA compliance efforts; manual audits surface the code-level issues automation can’t detect.

How to make your Shopify store ADA compliant

There’s no checklist that ends in a certificate—no government body certifies a website as ADA compliant, and no vendor can provide one. However, the following quick tips can help start moving your Shopify store toward WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance.

Fix alternative text on every product image. Shopify makes this editable in the product editor and in your theme’s image blocks. Describe what the image contains and why it matters to the buyer. For example, “navy merino crew-neck sweater, front view” rather than “IMG_4471” or “sweater.” Purely decorative images should carry empty alt text, so screen readers skip them. This is the most common barrier to e-commerce stores, and it’s entirely within your control.
Check color contrast in your theme. Body text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background, and large text needs a ratio of at least 3:1, to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Sale badges, struck-through “was” prices, and light-gray placeholder text in search fields are the usual offenders. Most Shopify themes let you change these in the theme editor without touching code.
Test your store with a keyboard alone. Unplug your mouse and try to complete a purchase using Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and the arrow keys. If you can’t reach the cart drawer, dismiss a pop-up, or operate the variant selector, neither can a keyboard-only shopper. Note any point where the focus indicator drops out—you should always be able to tell where you are on the page.
Check your store with a screen reader. VoiceOver on macOS and iOS, and NVDA on Windows, are both free. Run a product page and a checkout step through one of them. Announcements like “link” or “button” with no name mean a control is missing its accessible label.
Label every form and checkout field. Placeholder text is not a label—it clears the moment someone types. Each field needs a persistent label that’s programmatically associated with it, and error messages need to say what went wrong and how to fix it.
Audit the apps you have installed. Product review widgets, pop-ups, cookie banners, and upsell modals all inject their own markup into your storefront. These are a frequent source of keyboard traps and unlabeled controls. If you can’t dismiss a modal with the Escape key, raise it with the developer or replace the app.
Install an accessibility widget. The UserWay Accessibility Widget addresses many common WCAG issues automatically and supports your ADA compliance efforts from the start. It also gives visitors personalization controls: text sizing, contrast adjustment, spacing, and a screen-reader-friendly mode. Installation takes a few minutes, and the section below takes you through it.
Obtain a manual audit. Automated tooling can’t judge if alt text is meaningful, if a heading structure makes sense, or if a custom checkout flow is usable from end to end. A manual audit by accessibility specialists surfaces the code-level issues automation can’t detect. That’s what moves a store from “common issues addressed” toward documented conformance.
Publish an accessibility statement. State the standard you’re working toward, what you’ve done, what you know is still outstanding, and how someone can reach you if they hit a barrier. The UserWay dashboard generates one for you—learn more in Step 7 below.
Keep checking. Accessibility is a maintenance practice, not a launch task.
Every theme update, new app, new collection, and new product image can introduce a fresh barrier.

How to install the UserWay Accessibility Widget on Shopify

The Shopify App Store install is the fastest route, and it needs no code.

Step 1: Find UserWay in the Shopify App Store

Search for “UserWay” in the Shopify App Store. Select the “UserWay Website Accessibility” option, then select “Add app,” followed by “Install app.”

Step 2: Check your email for your credentials

If this is your first time using the UserWay Widget, we’ll send you a welcome email with your username, password, and code. Skip this step and use your existing login if you already have an account.

Step 3: Upgrade for more features

The app installs on its free plan by default, which gives you a light version of the Widget. To move to a paid plan, select the green “Upgrade Now” button. On the Shopify App Store, the AI-powered Widget plans start at $49 / month, or $490 / year, covering up to 100,000 monthly page views. Higher traffic tiers run $149 / month (up to 1M page views) and $349 / month (up to 10M). Charges recur in USD every 30 days.

Step 4: Enable the Widget (part one)

Select “Open Theme Editor to enable the widget.”

Step 5: Enable the Widget (part two)

Toggle the UserWay Widget to ON and select Save.

Step 6: Customize your Widget

You can now set the type, color, size, and position of your UserWay icon. Select “Save your settings” before you leave the page, or you’ll lose your customizations.

Step 7: Generate an accessibility statement

Select the “Accessibility Statement” tab on the menu bar at the top of the page. Fill in your details and select “Generate My Accessibility Statement.” We’ll email it to you.

Step 8: Preview your store

To confirm everything installed correctly, preview your store by selecting the eye icon in the left menu. Your previewed store should open automatically.

Start your Shopify accessibility journey

Install the UserWay Accessibility Widget on your Shopify store to address many common WCAG issues automatically and support your ADA compliance efforts from day one. When you’re ready to go further, talk to us about a manual audit that surfaces the code-level issues automation alone can’t detect.

Scan your Shopify store for common ADA accessibility issues.

Talk to us about a manual audit.