Get Started with Axe DevTools CLI

Before getting started, install Axe DevTools CLI.

Axe DevTools CLI runs via the axe command. This guide covers the three most common tasks:

• Analyze a Web Page
• Analyze Pages Using a Spec File
• Generate a Report from Saved Results

Analyze a Web Page

Pass one or more URLs directly to the axe command. By default, the CLI uses Firefox and runs the WCAG 2.1 AA ruleset, printing results to stdout:

axe https://example.com/

Analyze multiple pages at once:

axe https://example.com/ https://example.com/about.html

Save results as a JSON file for later use:

axe https://example.com/ --save=./axe-results.json

Generate an HTML report directly:

axe https://example.com/ --report=./axe-reports/

For all options, see Analyze Pages.

Analyze Pages Using a Spec File

For more complex scenarios such as navigating through a single-page app, logging in, dismissing dialogs, or analyzing a page at multiple points in a workflow, use the axe spec command with a spec file.

A spec file (JSON or YAML) defines a list of pages to analyze and the actions to take on each page before analyzing. A minimal example (axe-workflow.yaml):

projects:
  - name: example
    id: example
    pageList:
      - name: Homepage
        url: https://example.com/
      - name: Search Results
        url: https://example.com/
        actions:
          - type "axe" into element "#searchform input"
          - click element "#searchform button[type=submit]"
          - wait for element ".search-results" to be found
          - analyze

Run it with axe spec, specifying the spec file and an output directory for results:

axe spec ./axe-workflow.yaml ./axe-results

For a full reference of spec file structure, actions, and options, see Analyze Pages Using a Spec File.

Generate a Report from Saved Results

Use the axe reporter command to convert saved JSON results into HTML, JUnit XML, or CSV:

axe reporter ./axe-results --format=html

Generate a JUnit XML report (useful in CI pipelines):

axe reporter ./axe-results --format=junit

Generate a CSV report:

axe reporter ./axe-results --format=csv

For filtering and other options, see Generate Reports.

Next Steps

• Analyze Pages: all options for analyzing individual pages
• Analyze Pages Using a Spec File: spec files, actions, and batch processing
• Generate Reports: report formats, filtering, and JSON result structure
• Send to Axe Reports: upload results to the Axe Reports service
• Send to Axe Developer Hub: integrate results with Axe Developer Hub
• Configure: browser selection, timeouts, and persistent settings
• Custom Rulesets: WCAG 2.x, Section 508, and custom rulesets