Wix Accessibility: A Complete Guide for Non-Developers

Wix Has Accessibility Tools. Most People Don't Use Them.

Wix actually includes a built-in accessibility wizard (Site > Accessibility in the editor). It walks you through basic settings and flags some issues. The problem is that most Wix users either don't know it exists or assume it handles everything automatically.

It doesn't. The wizard covers the basics, but your content, images, colors, and structure still need manual attention. Here's what to check and how to fix it.

1. Run the Built-in Accessibility Wizard First

Start here. It's free and built right into the editor.

1. Open your site in the Wix Editor
2. Click Site in the top menu
3. Select Accessibility
4. Follow the prompts to set your site language, add alt text to flagged images, and review basic settings

This catches the low-hanging fruit. But it won't catch everything, especially content-level issues like poor heading structure, insufficient color contrast, or missing link text.

2. Add Alt Text to All Images

The accessibility wizard flags images without alt text, but you still need to write the descriptions yourself.

How to fix:

1. Click on any image in the Wix Editor
2. Click Settings (the gear icon)
3. Find "What's in the image? (Alt Text)"
4. Write a short, specific description

Tips for Wix specifically:

• Gallery elements: Click the gallery, then click "Manage Media" to add alt text to each image individually
• Strip/column backgrounds: If a strip has a background image that's purely decorative, it doesn't need alt text. If it contains meaningful content, add the information as visible text.
• Wix Pro Gallery: Alt text can be added per image in the gallery settings. Don't skip this.

3. Fix Color Contrast

Wix gives you total color freedom, which means it's easy to create combinations that fail contrast requirements. Light gray on white and white on pastel backgrounds are the most common failures.

How to fix:

1. Select a text element
2. Note the text color and the background color
3. Check the combination at WebAIM's contrast checker
4. Adjust until you hit at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text

Places to check on Wix sites:

• Header/menu text against the header background
• Text on image overlays (especially strips with background images)
• Button text against button backgrounds
• Footer text (often very light gray)
• Placeholder text in form fields

4. Fix Your Heading Structure

Wix lets you add any heading level anywhere. This makes it easy to break the heading hierarchy. Screen reader users navigate pages by jumping between headings, so skipping from H1 to H4 or using H3 for everything makes the page confusing.

How to fix:

1. Click on any text element
2. In the text editor toolbar, check the heading level (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)
3. Organize sequentially: one H1 per page (usually the page title), H2 for main sections, H3 for subsections
4. If you want smaller text, change the font size instead of using a different heading level

Use the Wix Theme Manager to style your headings globally. This way H2 can look however you want without using the wrong heading level for visual reasons.

5. Make Links and Buttons Accessible

Two common issues on Wix sites:

Links with no descriptive text: Avoid "click here" or "read more" as link text. Use descriptive text like "read our pricing guide" or "view product details."

Buttons with no text: Icon-only buttons (like a hamburger menu icon or social media icons) need accessible names.

1. Click the button or icon
2. Go to Settings
3. Look for the Tooltip or Accessibility section
4. Add a descriptive label (like "Open menu" or "Visit our Facebook page")

6. Check Your Forms

Wix Forms include labels by default, which is good. But verify:

• Every field has a visible label (not just placeholder text)
• Required fields are marked
• Error messages are clear about what needs to be fixed
• The form can be completed using only a keyboard (tab between fields, submit with Enter)

If you're using third-party form apps from the Wix App Market, test them separately. Some have poor accessibility.

7. Animations and Auto-Playing Content

Wix makes it easy to add animations, scroll effects, and auto-playing videos. These can create problems:

• Auto-playing videos: Should have a visible pause button
• Scroll animations: Keep them subtle. Rapid movement can trigger motion sickness for users with vestibular disorders.
• Slideshows/carousels: Should pause on hover and have manual navigation controls. Users need enough time to read each slide.

Wix-Specific Gotchas

A few things that are unique to Wix:

• Wix ADI sites (built by the AI designer) often have poor heading structure because the AI doesn't understand document hierarchy. Review and fix manually.
• Lightboxes (pop-ups): Test that they can be opened and closed with keyboard only. The Escape key should close them.
• Anchor links: If you use anchor menus (scrolling to sections on a page), make sure the anchors are properly labeled for screen readers.
• Mobile layout: Wix has separate desktop and mobile editors. Accessibility issues can be different on each. Check both.

Start With a Scan

The fastest way to know where your Wix site stands is to scan it. You'll get a prioritized list of issues sorted by severity, with plain-English instructions for fixing each one. Start with critical issues and work your way down.

For the bigger picture on what all these rules mean, check our WCAG guide for small businesses. And if you've seen ads for one-click accessibility widgets, read why overlays don't work before spending money on one.