Selecting a Ruleset
The axe Expert extension is officially retired. Read more about this on the axe Expert Replacement page. These pages will be taken down in July of 2024. Email helpdesk@deque.com with any questions or concerns.
Access: Access the Rules panel using the Rules link option in the axe Expert Extension drop-down menu to the right of the axe Expert Extension logo.
Overview: Once accessed, the Rules panel is used to select a pre-configured automated ruleset for analysis when analyzing a page with the Analyze panel. The Rules pane controls which available rulesets run as a part of an accessibility analysis. Options include Built-in rulesets and Custom rulesets. Users may also elect to include Test best practices and Use experimental rules options.
Options: The axe Expert Extension comes with the following five ruleset options, the first two of which are associated with established accessibility guidelines:
- WCAG 2.1 AA: This set of rules is built to test Web Accessibility Content Guidelines, version 2.1 at levels A and AA. Only parts of WCAG can be fully automated, so be aware that after passing all the rules in this ruleset, additional manual testing is required.
- WCAG 2.0 AA: This set of rules is built to test Web Accessibility Content Guidelines, version 2.0 at levels A and AA. Only parts of WCAG can be fully automated, so be aware that after passing all the rules in this ruleset, additional manual testing is required.
- WCAG 2.0 A: This set of rules is is built to test Web Accessibility Content Guidelines, version 2.0 at level A only. Only parts of WCAG can be fully, automated so be aware that after passing all the rules in this ruleset, additional manual testing is required
- Section 508 (Deprecated in favor of WCAG 2.1 AA in axe-core 3.5): This set of rules is build for testing web pages against the published Section 508 standard. Only parts of Section 508 can be fully automated, so be aware that after passing all the rules in this ruleset, additional testing is required.
Default Rules: The default ruleset value is first option, WCAG 2.0 AA. The default ruleset is used for any page analysis until you select a different ruleset option in the left pane of the Rules panel.
Custom Rulesets: The axe Expert Extension also includes the capability to use Custom rulesets. See Custom Rules for complete details on the axe Expert Extension's support for Custom Rulesets and how to both configure and select them for use in analysis
Changing the Ruleset: After selecting a different ruleset option in the left selection pane, the right ruleset description pane displays a USE THIS RULESET button. Activating the button highlights the newly selected ruleset in the left selection pane, effectively deselecting any other ruleset.