axe DevTools Extension
To get more familiar with the axe DevTools Browser Extension, watch the Getting Started with the axe DevTools Browser Extension video below:
Learn more with our axe DevTools Extension video playlist
Installation
The axe DevTools Browser Extension is available on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. A limited version is also available on Mozilla Firefox. At this time, "Pro" functionality (saving, exporting, Intelligent Guided Testing, usage reporting, etc.) is only available in the Chrome and Edge versions. To install, visit one of the listings below with the respective browser, click the install button and follow the instructions.
Check the axe DevTools Extension screen reader guide out for more information on using the extension with a screen reader.
Getting Started
Check out the interactive walkthrough to dive into the axe DevTools Extension features.
Opening the axe DevTools Extension
To access the axe DevTools Extension, you must first open their browser's developer tools. To do this, right click anywhere on a page and choose "Inspect." Alternatively, the developer tools can be opened with the following shortcuts:
- Windows:
ctrl+shift+i - MacOS:
cmd+option+i
Once the browser's developer tools are open, navigate to the "axe DevTools" tab.
The tab may be in the overflow area indicated by the >> "More tabs" control.
Creating an Account & Signing In
To take full advantage of everything the axe DevTools Browser Extension has to offer, a "Pro" subscription or trial will need to be created along with an axe Account.
To create an account, go to the plans page and choose a trial or directly purchase. You will then be able to create an account by connecting a Google or GitHub account, or by filling out the signup form. After this, you'll need to verify your email address by clicking the link in the email you'll receive immediately after signing up.
The above information is not applicable to organizations with private cloud or on-prem instances.
Once you have an account and a trial or subscription, you can sign into the extension by clicking the "Sign in" link in the top right. When sign in is initiated from the extension, a new tab will be opened in which you can complete the sign in process. Once sign in is complete, you'll be redirected back to the extension tab.
Now you're equipped with all of the AI-powered axe DevTools Browser Extension features! To get started, feel free to poke around the extension yourself and continue reading documentation on the many amazing features the axe DevTools Extension has to offer:
- Scanning for Accessibility Issues
- Configuration axe DevTools Browser Extension
- Intelligent Guided Testing
- Sharing
- Exporting
- Remaining (manual) Testing
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I perform a scan?
Performing a scan is easy! Refer to the Scanning for accessibility issues documentation to learn more.
What are “Intelligent Guided Tests” and how do I use them?
Intelligent Guided Tests, or IGTs, walk you through testing the more complicated areas of accessibility without needing any accessibility experience or expertise. Refer to the Intelligent Guided Test documentation to learn more.
Can I export data?
Yes! There are a number of export formats which are described in depth in the Exporting Data documentation.
Can I share results?
Sharing results is easy with the axe DevTools Extension. You can share entire test records, groups of issues, and even single issues. Refer to the Sharing Results documentation to learn more.
Administrators
The axe DevTools Extension includes multiple subscription provisioning, making user set-up and management simple and straight-forward.
User Management
Administrators can manage users on the “USER MANAGEMENT” page. Refer to the axe Account Portal User Management documentation to learn more.
Configuration across entire organization
Admins can configure settings like axe-core versions, accessibility testing standards and more across their entire organization with axe Configuration.
Configuration by Policy
The axe DevTools Extension can be configured by policy which enables administrators to precisely control extension configuration options. Learn more about policy configuration here.