Accessible online shopping

Accessible online shopping helps more people find, understand and buy products. This article gives practical, easy‑to‑implement measures for merchants and useful tips for customers.

Published 18 October 2026Neutral editorial guide

Basic rules for accessible shops

Accessibility in online retail means that as many people as possible can find, understand and use your shop. It covers people with visual or motor impairments, older customers, those with low digital skills and people with temporary limitations. Start with clear language: short sentences and common words make content easier to read. Use legible font sizes and strong contrast between text and background. Make interactive elements large enough and provide enough spacing so they can be activated with a keyboard or touch. Ensure the site is navigable without relying solely on a mouse.

Plain language and short sentences
Good contrast and readable font sizes
Full keyboard access to features
Touch‑friendly buttons and spacing

Designing understandable forms: Checkout and registration forms are common barriers. Label fields clearly and place examples or help text next to inputs. Avoid unnecessary required fields. Use inline validation so users see errors immediately and get concrete advice how to fix them. Group related fields logically and set a clear tab order for keyboard users. Offer alternative inputs where helpful, for example searchable dropdowns or checkboxes instead of free text when options are fixed.

Clear labels and examples for fields
Inline error messages with concrete guidance
Logical grouping and keyboard tab order
Offer alternative input methods

Images, alt text and media: Product images are important but should not be the only source of information. Provide meaningful alternative text (alt text) for images that briefly describe what is shown and the image's purpose. For multiple views or detail shots, add additional descriptions in the body text. For videos include captions and a brief transcript. Do not use phrases like ‘see image’ without a text alternative. Clear image descriptions also support search and assistive technologies.

Alt text: brief and descriptive
Add text descriptions for multiple views
Captions and transcripts for videos
Avoid visual references without text

Navigation and orientation: Clear navigation reduces user frustration. Provide visible breadcrumbs, consistent menus and a clear marker for the current location. Offer a skip‑to‑main‑content link so keyboard users can bypass repetitive navigation. Use meaningful page titles and readable URLs. Make filters and sort controls accessible: keyboard operable, clearly labelled and with a visible focus state. Regularly check that interactive elements like modals or pop‑ups are announced correctly to screen readers.