axe beta FAQs (formerly axe Pro beta)

About axe beta

Will axe beta make my page/site/app accessible?
Axe beta can help you find all accessibility issues that can be accurately detected via automation plus a variety of accessibility issues that would require basic manual testing; however, it can not detect all accessibility issues. You will still need help from an expert accessibility tester to perform additional manual testing (especially if you’re worried about meeting certain compliance requirements). Keep in mind, axe beta and accessibility testing tools in general can only detect issues – it’s up to your team to actually fix the issues.

What are the differences between axe beta, axe-core and axe browser extensions?
Axe-core is an open source JavaScript library of accessibility tests – it’s raw code that you can integrate into your development environment.

The axe browser extension, or axe Starter, is essentially axe-core wrapped in an easy-to-use interface so you can perform axe testing and view your results without having to build your own interface. The extension is available for Firefox and Chrome.
Axe beta builds on the foundation of the axe extension (in-browser testing with a friendly UI) with the addition of some guided testing modules that walk you through manual accessibility tests.

If accessibility testing were a latte, axe-core would be the espresso beans, the axe extension would be espresso beans loaded in a home espresso machine, and axe beta would be that same home espresso machine with a milk steamer.

Is axe beta available for browsers besides Chrome?
At this time, axe beta is only available for Chrome.

Is axe beta available for mobile?
Axe beta cannot perform native iOS or Android testing at this time, but you could use it for some mobile web testing by resizing your browser window on a computer. Visit the axe for Android page to learn more about the axe Android app.

Does axe beta offer a cloud and desktop version?
Not at this time. Axe beta is a web-based tool that runs in-browser and requires an active internet connection to work.

Is axe beta open source?
Axe beta’s automatic tests are performed with the axe-core testing library, which is open source; however, the axe beta UI and guided testing modules are not open source.

Is axe beta for sale?
Axe beta is currently free so we can get as much feedback as possible for the beta testing process.

Beta Program

How long can I use axe beta?
We aren’t currently limiting axe beta access to a certain span of time. As things currently stand, beta users will have access to axe beta as long as the beta is ongoing. If we find that we do need to impose those kinds of limits on the beta, we will do our best to give you plenty of prior notice.

I signed up for the beta – why haven’t I gotten my invite?
There are a few possible reasons:

  1. We may not have gotten to review your application yet.
  2. Your invite email may have ended up in your spam folder.
  3. We may be waiting on some backend improvements before adding more users. (Scaling is part of the beta testing process, and we want to be careful not to overload the server.)
  4. You may not meet our participation criteria at this time.

Where should I submit my feedback for the beta program?
You can submit feedback via the “Give us feedback” link on the axe beta dashboard. You can also email [email protected].

What data is Deque collecting from axe beta users?
For both axe Starter and axe beta, we are collecting user data to help us understand how the tool is being used and how we can improve it. The data we’re collecting includes any accessibility issues that get reported in the application, urls being tested; data collected at part of the issue reporting include snippets of HTML, CSS, and screen grabs; selections made throughout the guided testing modules, and any information supplied in the initial application to participate in the beta. We are collecting more detailed data on user behavior in the axe beta application through Google Analytics; however, that data will not include any unique identifiers, only the user’s role (i.e. developer, tester, designer, accessibility specialist, manager, or other) and when a testing session starts and stops. We axe beta scans a page for accessibility issues (which requires signing into axe beta via authentication), we collect the following information:

  1. We know who you are when you log in.
  2. We know what role you have based on information supplied when you signed up.
  3. We save the results of the automated testing if you click the “save” button. These results include HTML snippets of the items that have issues.
  4. We know which guided tools you used and what accessibility issues you found with those tools.
  5. We store the interim results of the tools so you can resume your testing where you left off.

Please read our full privacy policy and the axe Beta License Agreement for complete details on our data collection. You can stop the collection of the analytics data by blocking access to analytics.google.com at your firewall. If you cannot block analytics but still want additional privacy, our commercial extension (WorldSpace Attest) does not have any analytics.

Why is Deque collecting data from axe beta users?
We are always trying to make better tools that reflect how people actually work and make it easier to build accessible sites and applications. The data we collect from axe beta will help us learn more about how our users approach accessibility testing, what kind of features they like, what features they struggle with, what kind of tasks they’re trying to accomplish, what they’re expectations are, and how that data may vary for different development roles and environments. Please read our full privacy policy and the axe Beta License Agreement for complete details on our data collection.

What is Deque’s privacy policy?
Here is a link to the Deque Privacy Policy.

Getting Started

How do I create an axe beta account?
You can sign up for the axe beta by completing the beta signup form.

How do I log into my axe beta account?
Go to the axe beta server, and make sure you login with the email address you submitted in your application for the beta. (It will be the same email your “getting started” email is addressed to.) If you haven’t already set up your password, you’ll need to go through the reset password procedure. Once that’s complete, you should be able to login with your new password.

Support

I can’t log into my axe beta account. What should I do?
Make sure you’re trying to log in with the same email address you submitted in your application for the beta. (It will be the same email your “getting started” email is addressed to.) If you haven’t already set up your password, you’ll need to go through the reset password procedure. If you still can’t get into your account, please email axe beta support.

I’m having a problem with axe beta. Who can I contact for help?
If you’re running into problems using axe beta, you can email axe beta support. In your email, please include the following:

  • A description of the issue you are having
  • What browser you’re using and the version number
  • What type of computer you’re using and what operating system (with version number)
  • Any screenshots of the issue
  • Any other relevant details you’d like to include

If you don’t have all the information listed above, that’s okay. Please include as much as you can.
Where can I find documentation for axe beta?
Axe beta is still in its early developmental stages and documentation is still a work in progress. We will be adding tutorials, FAQ content, and other helpful information to this webpage, so keep an eye on this space. And, of course, you are always welcome to email axe beta support if you need more immediate help.