Why it matters now: the European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025, and Spain has transposed it through Law 11/2023. Among the services it covers is ecommerce aimed at consumers, which means many online stores must meet accessibility requirements.
The law has exceptions, for example for some microenterprises that provide services, and nuances around timelines and scope. We don't give legal advice: if you're unsure whether it applies to you and what you need to document, check with an advisor. What we can tell you is that working on accessibility improves the store for everyone, whether the law applies to you or not.
The technical reference: WCAG
The reference standard is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Shopify's own recommendations for stores are based on them. They work through testable criteria: contrast, alternatives for images, keyboard navigation, heading structure, labeled forms and similar.
Shopify notes in its documentation that following these guidelines does not by itself guarantee that a store is fully accessible. You have to test with tools and, above all, with people using screen readers and keyboards.
What you can review without touching code
A good part of the work happens in the admin and the theme editor. Shopify recommends a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 for normal text and buttons, 3:1 for headings and large text (24 px or more), and also 3:1 for non-text elements like field borders and icons. Text over images and videos has to meet the same requirements.
Alt text for product images is added in the admin, and for the rest of the theme's images, in the theme editor. Describe what's shown with your store's context in mind: “sneaker” is not the same as “blue trail sneaker side view with lugged sole”.
- Sufficient contrast for text, buttons and icons
- Alt text on every image that carries content
- Body text of at least 16 px and not justified
- Links underlined or distinguishable by more than color
- No autoplaying videos or carousels without controls
- Captions or transcripts for videos with dialogue
What depends on the theme
The rest lives in the theme code: every interactive element needs a visible focus state for keyboard navigation, headings need to follow a logical order without skipping levels, dropdown menus, the cart drawer and modals must be openable, usable and closable with a keyboard, and form fields need real labels.
Shopify's free themes, like Dawn, start from a good foundation. Problems usually come from customizations and apps: added sliders, signup pop-ups that trap focus, icons without text or buttons built from elements that aren't buttons. Every theme change should also be tested with a keyboard.
Apps, pop-ups and overlays
Many apps add elements you don't control: cookie banners, chats, reviews or variant pickers. Test them with a keyboard and a screen reader before leaving them in production. A cookie banner that can't be closed with a keyboard blocks the entire store for anyone not using a mouse.
Be wary of one-click solutions that promise to make your site accessible with an overlay script. They don't fix problems in the underlying code and sometimes interfere with screen readers. Accessibility is fixed in the theme and the content, not with a layer on top.
How to approach an accessibility audit
Start with the pages that lead to a purchase: home, collection, product page, cart and search. Shopify handles checkout, but everything before it depends on your theme. Use automated tools to catch the obvious issues (contrast, images without alt text, unlabeled fields) and complement them with manual tests, going through the purchase flow with a keyboard only.
A simple test you can run today: open your product page, set the mouse aside and try to choose a variant, add to cart and reach checkout using only Tab, Enter and the arrow keys. If at any point you can't tell where focus is or can't move forward, you've found a problem your customers face too. Repeat the test with your operating system's screen reader, like VoiceOver on Mac or Narrator on Windows, and listen to whether buttons and prices make sense without seeing them.
Document what you find, prioritize whatever blocks a purchase and fix it in the theme. Then build accessibility into your process: every new section, app or campaign gets reviewed against the same criteria before it goes live.
Frequently asked questions
Does the European Accessibility Act affect my Shopify store?
Since June 2025 it applies to part of consumer ecommerce, with exceptions such as some microenterprises. To know whether it affects you and what you need to do, check with an advisor.
Are Shopify themes accessible?
Shopify themes like Dawn start from a good foundation, but customizations, content and apps can break accessibility. You need to review it in your specific store.
Do one-click accessibility apps work?
They don't replace fixing the theme and the content. Overlays don't correct the underlying code and sometimes interfere with screen readers.
What color contrast does Shopify recommend?
At least 4.5:1 for normal text and buttons, and 3:1 for headings and text of 24 px or more, as well as for elements like icons and field borders.