Accessibility scan reports are the output of automated scans, translating raw evaluation data into a structured format that teams can act on. A scan report documents which issues were detected, where they appear, and which Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) success criteria they relate to.
| Key Point | What It Means |
|---|---|
| What a scan report contains | A list of detected issues organized by page, WCAG criterion, severity, and location in the code |
| Coverage limitation | Scans detect approximately 25% of accessibility issues, so reports reflect only what automated checks can evaluate |
| Primary purpose | Gives development and compliance teams a starting point for remediation and a baseline for tracking progress over time |
| Report formats | Common formats include browser-based dashboards, exportable CSV or PDF files, and API-delivered JSON data |
What an Accessibility Scan Report Contains
A typical scan report breaks down detected issues by individual page or screen. Each entry includes the specific WCAG success criterion that was not met, the element or code snippet where the issue was detected, and a severity or impact rating.
Some reports group issues by type, showing how many instances of the same issue appear across the scanned pages. Others organize by page, listing every issue detected on each URL. Both approaches serve different workflows, and the format depends on the scanner category being used.
How Severity and Impact Ratings Work
Most scan reports assign a severity level to each detected issue. These ratings reflect how much an issue affects someone using assistive technology, such as a screen reader or keyboard-only navigation.
A missing form label, for example, may receive a high severity rating because it prevents screen reader users from understanding what information a field requires. A redundant ARIA attribute might receive a lower rating because it does not block access to content. Severity ratings help teams decide which issues to remediate first.
Some scanners also incorporate a risk factor score. Risk factor accounts for legal exposure in addition to user impact, weighting issues that appear in high-traffic areas or on pages tied to core business functions.
What Scan Reports Cannot Show
Because scans detect approximately 25% of accessibility issues, a clean report does not mean a site conforms to WCAG. Scans evaluate what can be checked programmatically: missing alt attributes, form label associations, heading structure, and similar HTML and ARIA patterns.
Issues that require human judgment fall outside the scope of any scan report. Whether alt text is meaningful, whether a keyboard interaction follows an expected pattern, or whether content remains usable at 200% zoom are all evaluation points that require a manual audit. A scan report is a starting point, not a final assessment.
Report Formats and Export Options
Scan reports are delivered in different formats depending on the type of scanner. Browser-based scanners typically display results in a dashboard within the browser. API-based scanners return data in JSON format, which can be integrated into development pipelines and project management tools.
Many scanners offer CSV or PDF export for teams that need to share reports with colleagues outside of the scanning tool. PDF exports are common for compliance documentation, while CSV exports support bulk analysis in spreadsheets or databases.
Using Reports to Track Progress Over Time
One of the most practical uses of scan reports is measuring remediation progress. When scans run on a recurring schedule, each report becomes a snapshot. Comparing reports across weeks or months reveals whether the total number of detected issues is increasing or decreasing.
Monitoring programs use scheduled scans to produce these recurring reports automatically. A weekly scan of a 50-page site produces a weekly report, and teams can track trends at the page level, by issue type, or across WCAG criteria.
Trend data from recurring reports also helps teams identify regression. If a previously remediated issue reappears after a code deployment, the next scan report flags it.
How Scan Reports Fit into a Broader Evaluation Strategy
Scan reports serve as the automated layer of an accessibility evaluation program. They provide fast, repeatable data on the 25% of issues that automated checks can detect. The remaining 75% requires a manual audit conducted by an accessibility professional.
Organizations that pair recurring scan reports with periodic audits get both breadth and depth. The scan reports catch regressions and new issues between audits, while audits identify the issues that scans cannot reach.
A scan report is most useful when treated as one input among several, not as proof of conformance on its own.