4.5k stars · LGPL-3.0 · 10.0.0 (2026-08-28) · Track this in Scout
Command-line accessibility auditing that names the failing element, not just the score.
▶Repo detailsthe review · specs · pros & cons
What it is
A command-line accessibility testing tool: it loads a page in headless Chrome, runs it through the HTML CodeSniffer and axe rule sets, and reports the WCAG failures with the exact element responsible. A companion CI mode checks a whole list of URLs in one run.
What it is good for. The European Accessibility Act has applied to consumer-facing digital services since mid-2025, which puts any consumer-facing EU service squarely in scope — this is a compliance surface, not a nice-to-have. Beyond that, an interactive canvas that cannot be reached with a keyboard is a defect you will never hear about, because the affected visitor simply leaves; the react-arborist tree from Edition 7 #11 exists precisely because a canvas is unusable for a whole class of person. Unlighthouse (Ed. 2 #9) already gives a Lighthouse accessibility score, but a score is not a task list. Pa11y names the failing element on each page, which is the difference between a number you feel bad about and a morning's work you can actually finish.
- LGPL-3.0-only. Run it as a tool; do not link it into anything you ship.
- Automated checks catch roughly a third of real accessibility problems. Colour contrast judgement and focus order still need a human pass.
- Six months since v9.1.1, with a small maintainer team. Healthy, but not a fast-moving project.
