How we score
No black box. This page explains exactly what AdaClear tests, how the 0-100 score is computed, and what automation cannot catch.
What we test
Every scan loads your live page in a real browser and runs 90+ automated checks covering WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 levels A and AA: image alternatives, form labels, color contrast, keyboard focus, landmarks and structure, link purpose, language attributes, ARIA correctness, and more. We test the rendered page your visitors actually get, not the raw HTML.
How the score works
The score is a rule pass-rate, not an issue count. We take every applicable rule on your page, weight failures by severity (critical and serious failures cost the most), and map the result to 0-100. Two practical consequences:
- A single repeated template bug (say, 200 unlabeled icons) will not zero your score, but it will hurt in proportion to its severity.
- Fixing the critical and serious items first moves the score fastest, which is also the order that reduces legal exposure fastest. That is why the fix list is sorted this way.
Severity bands
- 0-49 High legal exposure: issues of the kind most often cited in ADA complaints are present and widespread.
- 50-69 Needs attention: significant barriers remain; a demand letter would find material.
- 70-89 Getting there: the basics are mostly right; remaining issues are fixable in days.
- 90-100 Strong: automation finds little; focus shifts to the human-judgement items.
What automation cannot catch
Roughly 60-70% of WCAG success criteria need human judgement: is the alt text meaningful or just present? Does the reading order make sense? Are error messages helpful? AdaClear flags these as "needs review" instead of pretending to verify them. Any tool that claims 100% automated compliance is misrepresenting what automation can do, which is precisely the claim that attracted a $1,000,000 FTC action against an overlay vendor.
Rule updates
Our ruleset tracks the current WCAG 2.2 recommendation and is updated as the standard and testing practice evolve. Rules last updated: July 2026.