accessibility-auditing

Accessibility Auditing

Audit a web page for accessibility issues using Cursor's built-in browser without external tools.

Workflow

1. Open the Page

Use browser_navigate to open the target URL.

2. Capture the Accessibility Tree

Use browser_snapshot — this returns the aria/accessibility tree of the page. This is the same tree that screen readers use.

3. Audit the Tree

Check for these issues:

Missing Labels

• button elements with no accessible name (no text, no aria-label)
• img elements with no alt text
• input elements with no associated label or aria-label
• a (link) elements with no text content
• Icon-only buttons missing aria-label

Semantic HTML

• Clickable div or span elements → should be button or a
• Missing nav, main, header, footer landmarks
• Headings that skip levels (h1 → h3)
• Lists that aren't using ul/ol/li

Keyboard Navigation

• Interactive elements missing from tab order
• Custom widgets without role and keyboard handlers
• Focus traps in modals (should trap focus, but also allow Escape to close)
• Skip-to-content link missing

ARIA Issues

• aria-hidden="true" on focusable elements
• Invalid role values
• aria-expanded without corresponding collapsible content
• aria-controls pointing to non-existent IDs

Contrast (use screenshot for visual check)

• Light gray text on white backgrounds
• Placeholder text that's too faint
• Disabled states that are indistinguishable

4. Test Keyboard Navigation

Use browser_press to simulate Tab key presses and verify:

• Every interactive element receives focus
• Focus order is logical (top-to-bottom, left-to-right)
• Focus is visible (focus ring or outline)
• Escape closes modals/dropdowns

5. Report

Accessibility Audit:
  Critical:
    - 3 buttons with no accessible name (header icons)
    - Login form inputs missing labels
  Warnings:
    - Heading levels skip from h1 to h3
    - No skip-to-content link
    - 2 clickable divs should be buttons
  Passed:
    - All images have alt text
    - Landmarks present (nav, main, footer)
    - Focus order is logical

6. Fix

For each issue, apply the fix in the source code. Common fixes:

• Add aria-label="Close" to icon buttons
• Wrap inputs in <label> or add htmlFor
• Change <div onClick> to <button>
• Add alt text to images
• Fix heading hierarchy