How our score works
Last updated: 4 September 2026
Axlura's score is a plain, published formula — not a proprietary "compliance rating". This page explains exactly how it is calculated and what it can and can't tell you.
1. What we scan
Every scan runs axe-core, the open-source accessibility engine also used by Google Lighthouse, Deque, and many professional audit tools. We run the rule sets tagged wcag2a, wcag2aa and best-practice against the page you submit, in a real headless browser after the page has loaded.
2. Impact levels
axe-core assigns every issue one of four impact levels. We use them directly:
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Critical | Blocks some people from using part of the page entirely (e.g. an image button with no accessible name). |
| Serious | A major barrier for users with disabilities (e.g. very low contrast text, form fields with no label). |
| Moderate | Causes friction or confusion but usually has a workaround (e.g. skipped heading levels). |
| Minor | Best-practice issues that are worth fixing but rarely block anyone. |
3. The score formula
We count how many distinct issue types were found at each impact level, apply a weight, and subtract from 100:
score = max(0, 100 − (critical × 15 + serious × 7 + moderate × 3 + minor × 1))
The score never goes below 0. A page with no automated issues scores 100. We deliberately weight critical and serious issues heavily, because a single blocking issue matters more than a dozen minor ones.
Worked example
A page with 2 critical, 3 serious, 1 moderate and 4 minor issue types:
100 − (2×15 + 3×7 + 1×3 + 4×1) = 100 − (30 + 21 + 3 + 4) = 100 − 58 = 42
4. What the score does not mean
- It is not a compliance rating. It does not certify that your site meets the EAA, the ADA, WCAG, or any standard.
- Automated testing reliably catches only about 40–60% of WCAG success criteria. Things like whether alt text is meaningful, whether the reading order makes sense, or whether a custom widget is usable with a screen reader need a human to check.
- A score of 100 means "no issues our automated scan can detect" — not "fully accessible".
This is why every paid plan includes a 50-point manual WCAG checklist, and why we offer a human audit for full coverage.
5. Why your Axlura score may differ from another tool
Different tools use different engines, rule sets, weightings, and page-load timing. Some count individual failing elements; we count issue types. Some scan only static HTML; we scan the page after JavaScript has run. None of these numbers are an official standard — treat any accessibility score as a direction indicator, not a grade.
6. How to improve your score
- Fix critical and serious issues first — they carry the most weight and the most user impact.
- Use the before/after fix code in your dashboard to correct issues at the source.
- Re-scan. Your dashboard keeps the history so you can see progress over time.
- Work through the manual checklist for the criteria automation can't see.
Questions about the methodology? Email support@axlura.com.