Linked documents need a manual accessibility review

Size guides, assembly instructions, return forms and terms and conditions are often only available as PDFs. Scanned or untagged PDFs are unreadable for screen reader users, so they miss information they need to buy or return a product.

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Rule id: vs-documents
Source: Validiscan check
Impact: Minor
Fix tier: MANUAL; on Shopify, Shopware, WooCommerce and Magento
Status: runs

What the check does

Lists links to PDF, DOCX and similar documents, such as size guides, manuals and terms and conditions, for a manual review of the documents themselves, which a page scan cannot evaluate.

The check reads up to 3,000 a and area elements with an href per page, skipping javascript:, mailto:, tel:, sms: and data: links. A link counts as a document when its URL path ends in .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt or .pptx. Failing that, the download attribute’s file name or the type attribute’s MIME type decides.

Each distinct document is listed once per page, with fragments such as #page=2 ignored and repeated links counted. For each, the check records:

the link’s accessible name or text, or a placeholder when it has none;
whether that text or the title names the file type, and whether it gives a size such as 200 KB or 2 Mo;
whether it opens in a new tab with target="_blank", has a download attribute or points to another origin.

The rule never produces a finding: every document link goes to needs review, and no file is opened. The scanner does not turn needs review into findings today.

How to fix it

Check each linked document for tags, reading order, alternative text and a document language, or publish the content as an accessible web page instead. State the file type and size in the link text, for example "Size guide (PDF, 200 KB)".

WCAG success criteria

Best practice: not tied to a WCAG success criterion.

Start with a free check of your shop.

Send your shop’s address. Validiscan scans it and replies with every failure the scan can prove, with the page and the code.

Request a free check

Or write to info@validiscan.com.

What the free check covers, and what it leaves out

You send: your shop’s address
Pages scanned: up to 15
You get: every failure the scan can prove, with the page and the code
On your shop: public pages only; no login, nothing bought, no forms sent
What it is not: a full audit