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WAVE

Find accessibility issues on a web page and see where they occur. Use WAVE’s marks to investigate a problem, then check the task by keyboard and screen reader.

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What does WAVE show on a page?

WAVE marks parts of a page where it finds an issue or something worth inspecting. For example, it can point to a form field with a missing label. Select the mark to read the explanation and see which field to fix.

Use the sidebar to separate detected errors from alerts that need your judgment. A heading or an image can also have a mark that helps you understand how the page is put together.

Which version should you use for a private page?

The online WAVE form sends the address to WebAIM’s service for a report. Use that form only for a public page you are allowed to submit. For a page on your computer or an approved signed-in test page, use the WAVE extension in Chrome, Firefox or Edge.

WebAIM says the extension evaluates the page rendered in your browser and sends no page or report information to WebAIM. Keep customer data out of the practice page. Use an approved test account if a sign-in is required.

Can you find and fix one missing label?

Use a disposable copy of a signup screen with one sample email field. Before opening it, confirm that it has no connection to real accounts, records or message delivery. Leave the field empty throughout the exercise. If you can’t confirm the setup, use a paper sketch and follow the intended order.

  1. Find the field in the report
    Use a sample with an email input and no label. Open the page and select the WAVE extension icon. Look for a missing form label and open its explanation to confirm which field it means.
  2. Change the label and repeat
    Add a visible ‘Email address’ label and connect it to the input in the page’s code. Run WAVE again on the same screen and check whether that finding is gone.
  3. Try the field as a visitor
    Close the report. Press Tab until you reach the field and check that you can see where you are. With a screen reader on, listen for the field name. Verify that it identifies the email field before you move on.

When would you need to pay for WAVE?

WebAIM offers WAVE’s public checker and browser extension as free tools for reviewing pages by hand. For repeated checks from another program, WebAIM’s hosted API uses credits. One basic page report costs one credit. More detailed reports use two or three.

WebAIM lists 100 starting credits for new API accounts. The smallest credit purchase is 250 credits, displayed as $10 on November 11, 2026. The table does not name the currency. Confirm it before paying.

The hosted API receives the page address and can return structured results as JSON or XML. WebAIM also offers a separately licensed version you can run on your own systems when a private site needs automated scans.

What should you keep after a check?

Write down which page and state you checked, the specific issue, what changed, and what you verified by hand. Repeat the check when that page changes. A clean report leaves questions such as whether someone can understand an error or finish the task.

Keep private addresses and page details out of tickets people outside the project can see. WebAIM’s terms require permission to sell or redistribute WAVE reports or report data.