Accessibility tree

The structured view of a page that screen readers and many browser agents use: its headings, links, buttons and form fields, with their names. If something isn't in it, many agents can't use it. See what an AI agent sees.

Why it matters

Many browser agents decide what to click by reading the accessibility tree, the same view screen readers use. A button or field that isn't properly described there is invisible to them, even though shoppers can see it perfectly well. Fixing it helps customers using assistive technology and agents at the same time, so the work pays twice.

Read the guide What an AI agent sees when it visits your store One product page, three views: the raw HTML an assistant reads, the rendered page a browser agent sees, and the accessibility tree it acts on. Read it

More terms in finding the way

• Accessible name The name a button, link or field has in the accessibility tree, from its text, label or aria-label.
• Landmarks Labels for the main regions of a page, such as header, navigation, main content and footer, that let agents skip straight to what they need.
• Overlay Anything that covers the page, such as a cookie banner, newsletter pop-up or chat window.
• WCAG The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the standard for making sites usable by people with disabilities.

Every term, A to Z → · Read the glossary in full →