Expanding WCAG Coverage with New AI-Supported Rules

Summary

Siteimprove has introduced new AI-supported accessibility rules to expand WCAG coverage, improve detection accuracy, and reduce false positives. These rules enhance automated testing while allowing customers to opt in and adopt them gradually.

What is this update about?  

We have introduced three new accessibility rules powered by AI review to expand WCAG coverage, reduce false positives, and improve the accuracy of Siteimprove accessibility testing.  

These rules are part of our ongoing effort to strengthen accessibility checks and improve customer experience by:  

• Expanding coverage: More WCAG issues detected automatically.  
• Reducing manual effort: AI helps validate potential issues more efficiently.  
• Improving accuracy: Fewer false positives and refined detection of interactive elements.  
• Providing flexibility: Customers can opt in to these rules at their own pace.  

The new rules  

• SIA-R114: Page title is not descriptive
• SIA-R115: Heading is not descriptive

How it works

How to enable the new rules  

1. When you access the Accessibility module in the Siteimprove platform, you will see a notification about new rules.
2. Select Opt in to enable these rules.  
3. Once enabled, the rules are applied immediately across your sites.  
4. Your DCI Accessibility score will be updated to reflect issues detected by the new rules.  

Things to know

• The new rules are available to all customers who have access to Accessibility.
• Opt-in is temporary; once adopted widely, these rules will become part of the default Accessibility checks.  
• Opting in may impact your score as new issues are detected.

Key takeaways

• AI-supported rules expand WCAG coverage and improve detection accuracy
• Customers can opt in before rules become default
• Enabling the rules may temporarily impact Accessibility scores
• The update focuses on reducing false positives and improving efficiency