Getting Started with WCAG Pulse

Welcome to WCAG Pulse! This guide will help you set up your account and run your first accessibility scan.

Quick Start

1. Create Your Account

Sign up for a free account at wcagpulse.com/signup. No credit card required for the free tier.

2. Add Your First Site

After signing in, navigate to your dashboard and click Add Site. Enter:

  • Site Name: A friendly name for your website
  • URL: The homepage URL of your site (e.g., https://example.com)

    • 3. Run Your First Scan

    Once your site is added, click the Scan Now button. WCAG Pulse will:

  • Crawl your specified pages
  • Analyze each page against WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines
  • Generate a detailed accessibility report

    • Understanding Your Results

    Accessibility Score

    Your site receives a score from 0-100 based on:

  • Number of issues found
  • Severity of issues (Critical, Serious, Moderate, Minor)
  • WCAG conformance level (A, AA, AAA)

    • Issue Categories

    WCAG Pulse checks for issues across four WCAG principles:

    Common Issues

  • Missing alt text: Images without alternative text
  • Low color contrast: Text that's hard to read
  • Missing form labels: Form inputs without associated labels
  • Keyboard accessibility: Elements not reachable by keyboard

    • Setting Up Automated Scans

    Schedule Regular Scans

  • Go to Site Settings
  • Enable Automated Scanning
  • Choose your frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly)
  • Set your preferred time

    • Scan Notifications

    Configure email notifications to receive alerts when:

  • New issues are detected
  • Accessibility score changes significantly
  • Scheduled scans complete

    • Integrating with Your Workflow

    Webhooks

    Set up webhooks to receive real-time notifications about scan results. See our Webhook Integration Guide for details.

    Widget Integration

    Add the WCAG Pulse widget to your site to display your accessibility score. See our Widget Integration Guide for implementation details.

    Best Practices

    Regular Monitoring

  • Run scans after major deployments
  • Monitor trends over time
  • Set baseline scores and track improvements

    • Prioritizing Fixes

    Focus on issues in this order:

  • Critical: Barriers that prevent access entirely
  • Serious: Major barriers that significantly impede access
  • Moderate: Issues that cause some difficulty
  • Minor: Minor inconveniences

    • Team Collaboration

  • Invite team members to your organization
  • Assign issues to specific developers
  • Track progress on remediation efforts

    • Next Steps

  • Widget Integration - Add accessibility badges to your site
  • Webhook Setup - Integrate with your systems

    • Compliance Guides

    Learn about the accessibility laws and standards that apply to your organization:

  • ADA Website Accessibility Compliance - ADA Title II and Title III requirements for US organizations
  • Section 508 Compliance - Federal ICT accessibility requirements
  • EN 301 549 European Standard - European ICT accessibility standard
  • European Accessibility Act (EAA) - Private sector accessibility requirements in the EU
  • AODA and Canadian Accessibility - Canadian federal and provincial accessibility laws
  • Accessibility by Industry - Industry-specific regulatory requirements and litigation risk

    • Need Help?

  • Documentation: Browse our full documentation library
  • Support: Contact us at support@wcagpulse.com
  • Community: Join our community forum for tips and best practices

Getting Started with WCAG Pulse - WCAG Pulse