Next.js Accessibility Checker

How to run an accessibility check on a Next.js app

Use VertaaUX to verify a Next.js page meets WCAG 2.2 AA before release.

1. 1

   Pick a representative route

   Choose a high-traffic route — usually the homepage, a product page, and one logged-in or interactive flow. Audit each in turn rather than only the homepage.

2. 2

   Run the audit

   Paste the URL into VertaaUX and run an audit. The audit fetches the rendered HTML, runs axe-core plus VertaaUX analyzers, and returns a prioritized issue list.

3. 3

   Triage by severity

   Fix critical and serious issues first — keyboard traps, missing form labels, and contrast failures block real users. Treat moderate issues as backlog for the next sprint.

4. 4

   Verify fixes with a re-audit

   Re-run the audit after each fix to confirm the issue is resolved and that you did not regress another rule.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Next.js need a focused accessibility checker?

Server vs client rendering, dynamic routes, hydration, and portaled modals create accessibility patterns that generic checkers miss. A Next.js-aware audit looks for focus loss on route changes, ARIA attributes that disappear after hydration, and skipped headings in dynamically rendered shells.

How do I test focus order in a Next.js app?

Tab through every primary route from the top and watch for visible focus rings. Open and close modals, drawers, and command palettes to verify focus returns to the trigger. After a route change, focus should land on the page heading or the main landmark, not the document body.

Does next/image cause accessibility issues?

Only if you skip the alt prop. Always pass descriptive alt text or alt="" for purely decorative images. The Image component preserves alt through optimization, and lazy loading does not change a11y semantics as long as the alt is provided.

When should I run a Next.js accessibility audit?

Run an audit pre-release on every page that changed, after each shared-component update, and as part of CI on pull requests. Catching issues at the component level prevents them from propagating across marketing and product surfaces.

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