Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers about accessibility compliance, our approach, and how we protect your Shopify store.

About LiquidA11y

What is LiquidA11y and how does it work?

LiquidA11y is an accessibility scanning and remediation tool built specifically for Shopify stores. Unlike overlay widgets that add a layer on top of your site, we scan your store and make real changes to your actual Liquid theme templates.

How it works:

  1. We scan your store using 5 detection layers: axe-core, Playwright, AI vision, semantic analysis, and app attribution
  2. Issues are identified against WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines
  3. Auto-Fix modifies your actual theme code to fix the issues
  4. Liability Shield documents what was scanned and fixed
How is LiquidA11y different from overlay widgets (accessiBe, UserWay, etc.)?

The difference is fundamental:

Approach Overlay Widgets LiquidA11y
What it does Adds JavaScript layer on top Modifies your actual code
Screen reader compatibility Often interferes Native support
Court acceptance โŒ Ruled insufficient โœ… Approved approach
FTC action $1M fine (accessiBe) N/A

In January 2025, the FTC fined accessiBe $1 million for false claims about their widget's ability to achieve WCAG compliance.

What is the Liability Shield?

Liability Shield is our comprehensive documentation system that records every scan and fix. It creates evidence of your good-faith accessibility efforts.

What it documents:

  • Date and time of scans
  • Issues identified (with WCAG references)
  • Fixes applied (before/after code)
  • Pages scanned and coverage
  • Ongoing remediation timeline

Why this matters: Courts examine whether businesses took "reasonable steps" to provide equal access. According to legal research, documented remediation efforts demonstrate "due diligence" and can significantly influence lawsuit outcomes โ€” potentially leading to reduced damages, favorable settlements, or dismissal. Sources: Wolters Kluwer, U.S. Courts, accessible.org

What is App Tamer?

App Tamer is our exclusive upcoming feature that identifies which third-party Shopify apps are causing accessibility issues on your store.

Many accessibility problems come from apps you've installed โ€” review widgets, popups, chat tools, etc. Other scanners just tell you there's a problem. Only LiquidA11y tells you which app caused it.

๐Ÿš€ Included with the LiquidA11y integration.

With App Tamer, you will be able to:

  • See accessibility issues grouped by app
  • Make informed decisions about which apps to keep, replace, or configure
  • Contact app developers with specific issues to request fixes

Legal & Compliance

Will LiquidA11y make my site fully ADA/WCAG compliant?

LiquidA11y addresses the technical issues that cause the vast majority of accessibility problems โ€” and the ones most commonly cited in lawsuits. We fix alt text, color contrast, form labels, keyboard navigation, ARIA attributes, and 80+ other issues automatically.

However, "full compliance" requires factors beyond what any automated tool can address:

  • Content quality (plain language, clear instructions)
  • Complex interactive components requiring manual testing
  • User testing with people who have disabilities
  • Ongoing maintenance as your site changes
  • Third-party embedded content (videos, iframes)

We get you most of the way there, and we're transparent about what requires additional attention. For businesses in high-risk industries, we recommend periodic professional audits.

Can I still get sued if I use LiquidA11y?

We cannot prevent all lawsuits โ€” no tool can guarantee that. But we significantly reduce your risk by fixing the real issues that plaintiffs and their attorneys look for.

More importantly, if you do receive a demand letter:

  • Your Liability Shield documentation shows you took meaningful, documented action
  • Courts look for evidence of "good faith" efforts โ€” your remediation history provides this
  • Documentation of proactive compliance can lead to faster, less expensive resolutions

Research shows: "A good faith defense suggests that a business has made genuine, diligent efforts to comply with ADA requirements... demonstrating good faith can significantly influence the outcome of a lawsuit, potentially leading to reduced damages, more favorable settlement terms, or even dismissal." Source: U.S. Courts, Wolters Kluwer legal research

The stores that get hit hardest are those that did nothing, or those that relied on overlay widgets that don't actually fix anything.

Why does documentation matter for legal protection?

Documentation is crucial because it provides tangible evidence that you took accessibility seriously.

What courts and attorneys look for:

  • Accessibility audit reports โ€” Records of evaluations against WCAG standards
  • Remediation records โ€” Evidence of actions taken to fix problems
  • Timeline of efforts โ€” Proof that compliance was ongoing, not reactive
  • Before/after evidence โ€” Screenshots or code showing what was fixed

Legal precedent: "Demonstrating that a business had an accessibility policy in place before a lawsuit was filed, and was actively executing on it, provides compelling evidence that accessibility issues are unlikely to recur." Source: accessible.org, ADA legal research

LiquidA11y's Liability Shield creates this documentation automatically with every scan and fix.

What accessibility standards does LiquidA11y cover?

LiquidA11y scans against and helps remediate issues for:

  • WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA โ€” The international standard referenced by courts
  • ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) โ€” U.S. federal law
  • EU EAA (European Accessibility Act) โ€” Enforcement Active (Deadline passed June 2025)
  • Section 508 โ€” U.S. government websites
  • AODA โ€” Canadian accessibility requirements

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recommends conformance to WCAG 2.0 AA for digital content, and courts increasingly use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark for ADA compliance.

Technical Questions

How does Auto-Fix modify my theme?

Auto-Fix uses the Shopify Theme API to make targeted changes to your Liquid templates. We use AI to generate appropriate fixes while preserving your theme's design and functionality.

Safety measures:

  • Changes are made to a draft theme first (not your live store)
  • You can preview changes before publishing
  • Full before/after code comparison is available
  • Changes can be reverted through Shopify's theme versioning

The fixes are yours forever. Even if you cancel LiquidA11y, the code changes remain in your theme.

Will Auto-Fix break my website?

Auto-Fix is designed to be safe and non-destructive. Our changes target specific accessibility attributes without affecting your site's layout or functionality.

What we do:

  • Add missing alt text to images
  • Add aria-label attributes to buttons and links
  • Fix form label associations
  • Add skip links for keyboard navigation

What we don't do: Restructure your layouts, change your CSS, or remove existing functionality.

Do I need to connect my store to use LiquidA11y?

You can scan any public Shopify store URL without connecting anything. However, to use Auto-Fix (which modifies your theme code), you'll need to connect your Shopify store through our secure integration.

This grants us permission to:

  • Read your theme files (to identify what needs fixing)
  • Write to a draft theme (to apply fixes)

You can revoke this access at any time from your Shopify admin.

Pricing & Billing

Is there a free option?

Yes! You can run free scans to see what accessibility issues exist on your store. Free scans include:

  • Full accessibility report
  • Issue categorization by severity
  • WCAG reference for each issue

To apply automated fixes, you'll need a paid plan. View all plans โ†’

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account dashboard. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period.

Important: All code fixes applied to your theme remain even after cancellation โ€” they're yours forever.

Platform Support

Which platforms does LiquidA11y support?

LiquidA11y is optimized for Shopify stores. We can scan any public website, but our auto-fix capabilities depend on the platform:

Platform Scan Auto-Fix
Shopify โœ“ Full โœ“ Direct Theme API
GitHub-hosted sites โœ“ Full โœ“ Pull Request (Coming Soon)
WordPress โœ“ Full Copy/paste code snippets
Wix / Squarespace / Webflow โœ“ Full โŒ Not available (closed platforms)
Why can't you auto-fix Wix or Squarespace sites?

Wix, Squarespace, and similar platforms are "closed ecosystems" โ€” they don't provide any API for external tools to modify your site's code.

We can still scan these sites and provide a detailed report of all accessibility issues. You'll then need to use their built-in editors to manually apply the fixes we recommend.

Pro Tip: If you're on Wix or Squarespace and need auto-fixing, consider migrating to Shopify. We can help make the transition seamless.

What about WordPress sites?

We fully support scanning WordPress sites and providing detailed fix recommendations.

For auto-fixing, WordPress doesn't have a standard API for theme modifications. However, we provide:

  • Exact code snippets to copy/paste into your theme files
  • File paths showing where to make changes
  • Step-by-step instructions for common themes/builders

A WordPress plugin for direct theme patching is on our roadmap.

Still Have Questions?

We're here to help. Reach out and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.