Recurring scan schedule setup is the process of configuring an accessibility scanning tool to evaluate a defined set of pages on a fixed interval, with results delivered to a chosen destination. The core inputs are frequency, page scope, authentication settings, and notification preferences. Most scanning tools manage this within a project or site configuration screen, where a scheduler runs the scan against the same URL list each cycle and stores results for comparison.
Recurring scans surface regressions on pages that previously passed and flag new issues introduced through content updates or code changes.
| Setup Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Daily, weekly, monthly, or custom intervals based on how often the site changes. |
| Page Scope | The URL list or crawl depth the scanner evaluates each cycle. |
| Authentication | Credentials or session handling required to reach gated pages. |
| Notifications | Email, dashboard, or webhook delivery of scan results and change reports. |
| Coverage Reminder | Scans detect approximately 25% of accessibility issues; the rest requires manual evaluation. |
Choose a Scan Frequency That Matches Site Activity
Frequency should reflect how often content and code change. Marketing sites with weekly publishing cycles benefit from weekly scans. Application interfaces with continuous deployment pipelines often run daily scans, sometimes tied to staging environments before release.
Sites with quarterly updates can run monthly scans without losing visibility. Running scans more often than the site changes produces redundant data without surfacing new information.
Define the Page Scope
The scope determines which URLs the scanner evaluates each cycle. Two configurations are common: a fixed URL list and a crawl-based scope.
A fixed URL list works well when the priority pages are known, such as the homepage, top product pages, account flows, and key templates. A crawl-based scope follows links from a starting point to a defined depth, which captures new pages but can miss pages behind interactions or authentication.
For most projects, a hybrid approach works: a fixed list of priority URLs plus a periodic broader crawl to catch newly published pages.
Configure Authentication for Gated Pages
Pages behind a login require authenticated scanning. Tools manage this through stored credentials, session cookies, or a browser extension that runs scans within an active session.
When configuring authentication, identify the post-login URLs that matter most: dashboards, account settings, checkout steps, and any flow where regressions would affect users directly. Evaluate the authentication setup with a single scan before activating the schedule.
Set Notifications and Reporting
Notifications determine how the team learns about scan results. Common configurations include email summaries, dashboard alerts when new issues appear, and webhook delivery into project tracking systems.
The most useful notifications focus on changes: new issues introduced since the last scan, issues that appeared on pages that previously passed, and pages newly added to the scope. A weekly summary is often more actionable than a full report after every scan.
Pair Scheduled Scans With Manual Evaluation
Recurring scans cover the portion of WCAG that automation can reliably detect, which is approximately 25% of issues. The remaining 75% requires manual evaluation by accessibility professionals using screen reader and keyboard testing alongside code and visual inspection.
A practical program runs scheduled scans for ongoing regression detection and conducts a full audit at meaningful intervals or after substantial product changes. Review the broader scheduling approach to align scan cadence with audit timing and release cycles.
Validate the Schedule After Setup
Once the schedule is active, verify the first two or three cycles produced expected results. Confirm that authenticated pages were reached, that the URL list matches the intended scope, and that notifications arrived at the right destinations. A schedule that runs but delivers incomplete data is worse than no schedule, because the absence of alerts can be mistaken for an absence of issues.