In short
Since 28 June 2025 Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has applied to websites through which consumers conclude a contract online, such as a shop or online appointment booking. Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and a turnover or balance sheet total of at most 2 million euros are exempt for services. The check above answers the question for your business and shows where your home page has barriers. It follows German law. Not legal advice.
What the website part checks
| Check | WCAG | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Page language | 3.1.1 | Screen readers read the text with the right pronunciation |
| Page title | 2.4.2 | The title is read first and shown in the browser tab |
| Zooming on phones | 1.4.4 | People with low vision must be able to enlarge the text |
| Alternative text for images | 1.1.1 | Without alt text, an image says nothing to blind people |
| Labelled form fields | 1.3.1, 4.1.2 | Otherwise nobody knows what goes into a field |
| Placeholder instead of label | 3.3.2 | Grey placeholder text disappears while typing |
| Main heading and order | 1.3.1 | Headings are the table of contents for screen readers |
| Links and buttons with names | 2.4.4, 4.1.2 | Icon links without a description are only read as "link" |
| Meaningful link texts | 2.4.4 | "Here" and "more" mean nothing out of context |
| Titles for embedded content | 4.1.2 | Maps and videos need a description |
| Sound that starts automatically | 1.4.2 | Sound drowns out the speech output |
The check also detects common accessibility overlays, signs of a shop or online booking, and whether there is a link to accessibility information.
What the check cannot test
The check reads the HTML of the home page without rendering it like a browser. So it does not see contrast, keyboard use or content created later by JavaScript. Automated tests only find some of the barriers. Check these three things yourself:
- Use the page only with Tab, Shift+Tab and Enter. Can you reach everything, and can you always see where you are?
- Check contrast with Lighthouse in Chrome (F12 key, "Lighthouse" tab, accessibility category) or with WAVE (wave.webaim.org).
- Zoom to 200 % and see whether text gets cut off.
Does the BFSG apply to my website?
The detailed answer with all exceptions, obligations and fines is in the article Accessibility: what Germany's BFSG means for small businesses. The key points:
- Covered are services in electronic commerce, meaning offerings through which consumers conclude a contract (§ 1 (3) no. 5 and § 2 no. 26 BFSG).
- Micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt (§ 3 (3) BFSG).
- According to the Federal Accessibility Agency, pure information sites are usually not covered, while online appointment booking is.
- Violations can be fined up to 100,000 euros (§ 37 BFSG).
After the check
Start with the points under "Problems". Alternative text, labels for form fields and names for icon links can usually be added quickly. With site builders such as Wix or Jimdo you do this in the settings of each element, with WordPress in the editor or the theme. I build my own sites by hand and check them with Lighthouse and the keyboard before handover.
Frequently asked questions
Does the result confirm that my site complies with the BFSG?
No. The check shows typical barriers that can be detected automatically. A full WCAG audit also needs manual tests, for example with keyboard and screen reader.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the W3C's international rules for accessible websites. For the BFSG, the standard EN 301 549 is the benchmark in practice, which refers to WCAG 2.1 level AA.
Do accessibility plugins or overlays help?
Usually not. They show a toolbar with font size and contrast but do not fix the barriers in the code. Experts therefore advise against them.
Is my data stored?
No. You answer the three questions only in your browser. For the website check, my server requests your home page once. Neither the address nor the result is stored.
Sources
- BFSG §§ 1, 2, 3 and 37 (German): www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bfsg
- Federal Accessibility Agency, BFSG FAQ (German): www.bundesfachstelle-barrierefreiheit.de/DE/Barrierefreiheitsstaerkungsgesetz/FAQ/faq_node
- W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1: www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21
- WAVE: wave.webaim.org
As of 5 November 2026. Not legal advice.