Guide
EAA for e-commerce: what online stores need to do
Last updated: 29 June 2026
If you run an online store that sells to consumers in the EU, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) very likely applies to you. E-commerce is explicitly among the consumer services it covers, and it's been mandatory since 28 June 2025. This guide is a practical, store-focused take on what that means and where to put your effort. (General information, not legal advice — see also our EAA compliance checklist and EAA deadline & penalties.)
Why e-commerce is squarely in scope
The EAA targets products and services sold to consumers, and online shopping is one of the clearest examples. If customers in the EU can buy from you, plan on being in scope. Some very small businesses (microenterprises) providing services may have relief from certain obligations, but this varies by member state — confirm against the law where you sell rather than assuming an exemption. The standard you're effectively measured against is WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
The flows that carry the most risk
You don't have to fix everything at once — fix the path to purchase first, because a barrier there directly blocks sales and is the most likely to draw complaints:
- Product pages — image alt text for product photos, readable prices and variants, contrast on labels and badges.
- Search & filters — operable by keyboard, results announced, filter controls labelled.
- Cart — quantity steppers and "remove" buttons that work by keyboard and have clear names.
- Checkout & forms — the highest-stakes area: real labels, clear errors, autocomplete, and full keyboard support (see accessible forms).
- Payment + confirmation — error and success states that screen readers announce.
Watch your platform and add-ons
Most stores run on a platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.) plus a theme and apps. Accessibility depends on all of them: a theme can introduce contrast or keyboard issues, and third-party widgets (reviews, chat, cookie banners, "buy now" buttons) are common offenders. Test the live, rendered store — not just the platform's claims — because what your customer experiences is the combination.
A practical path
- Scan your key templates — home, a product page, cart, and checkout cover most of the store.
- Fix worst-first by severity and by where it blocks buying.
- Manually test the full purchase by keyboard and with a screen reader.
- Publish an accessibility statement (see our template) and give people a way to report problems.
- Re-test after theme/app updates — stores change constantly.
Start with your checkout
Begin where the money is. Scan your site free with WCAGwise on your product and checkout pages to find the machine-detectable issues and exactly where they are, then walk the full purchase manually. When you need to document the whole store, WCAGwise Pro (whole-site auditing) is coming. WCAGwise is an audit aid, not a legal guarantee.