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Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

12 min read

Welcome to AccessibilityMonitor

Getting started with AccessibilityMonitor is straightforward, but understanding how to make the most of our platform will help you achieve better results faster. This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know to begin monitoring your website's accessibility effectively.

Why Accessibility Monitoring Matters

Before diving into the technical setup, it's worth understanding why accessibility monitoring is crucial for your organization:

  • Legal Compliance: With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) requiring compliance by 2030, and existing laws like the ADA in the US, accessibility is increasingly a legal requirement
  • Broader Audience: Over 1 billion people worldwide have some form of disability, making your site accessible expands your potential audience significantly
  • Better SEO: Many accessibility improvements also benefit search engine optimization
  • Improved User Experience: Accessible design typically leads to better usability for all users

Step 1: Create Your Account

Visit our registration page and create your free account. You'll need:

  • A valid email address
  • A password (minimum 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, and numbers)
  • Your organization name (optional)

After registration, you'll receive a confirmation email. Click the link to verify your account and gain full access to the dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate the Dashboard

Once logged in, you'll see your main dashboard. Here's what each section means:

  • Trust Score: Your overall accessibility health score from 0-100
  • Issues Overview: A breakdown of detected problems by severity
  • Recent Scans: History of your latest accessibility audits
  • Quick Actions: One-click access to common tasks

Step 3: Add Your First Domain

Click the Add Domain button in the dashboard header. Enter your website's URL (e.g., https://example.com).

We'll need to verify you own this domain. Choose one of three methods:

DNS Verification (Recommended)

Add a TXT record to your domain's DNS:

Name: _accessibilitymonitor
Type: TXT
Value: am-verify=abc123xyz

This method is most reliable and persists even if you redesign your site.

HTML Meta Tag

Add this tag to your homepage's <head> section:

html
<meta name="accessibilitymonitor-verification" content="abc123xyz" />

File Upload

Upload a verification file to your website's root:

https://yoursite.com/accessibilitymonitor-verify.txt

Step 4: Configure Scan Settings

After verification, configure how AccessibilityMonitor scans your site:

Scan Scope Options:

  • Full Site: Crawl your entire sitemap (recommended for comprehensive coverage)
  • Specific Pages: Enter individual URLs to monitor
  • Exclude Patterns: Skip URLs matching certain patterns (e.g., /admin/*)

Scan Frequency (depends on your plan):

  • Free: Weekly automated scans
  • Premium: Daily automated scans
  • Royal: Hourly automated scans plus on-demand

Step 5: Run Your First Scan

Click Scan Now to initiate your first accessibility audit. The scan duration depends on your site size:

  • Small sites (< 50 pages): 1-3 minutes
  • Medium sites (50-500 pages): 5-15 minutes
  • Large sites (500+ pages): 15-60 minutes

You'll receive an email notification when the scan completes.

Step 6: Understand Your Results

Your scan results include:

Trust Score Breakdown:

  • Critical Issues (Red): WCAG Level A violations that must be fixed
  • Major Issues (Orange): WCAG Level AA violations that should be fixed
  • Minor Issues (Yellow): Best practice recommendations

Per-Issue Information:

  • The specific WCAG success criterion violated
  • The HTML element causing the issue
  • A clear explanation of the problem
  • Step-by-step remediation guidance
  • Code examples showing how to fix it

Best Practices for New Users

  1. Start with Critical Issues: Focus on Level A violations first, as these have the biggest impact on accessibility
  2. Use the Filter System: Filter by page, issue type, or WCAG criterion to work systematically
  3. Set Up Notifications: Enable email alerts for new critical issues
  4. Schedule Regular Reviews: Even with automated scanning, review results weekly
  5. Track Progress: Use the Analytics page to monitor your Trust Score over time

Getting Help

If you encounter any issues:

  • Check our Knowledge Base for detailed guides
  • Contact support through the Help page in your dashboard
  • Join our community forum to connect with other users

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