Accessibility Checker
WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 contrast for normal text and 3:1 for large text. The audit also checks alt text, lang, link text, headings and table roles.
@emailens/engine 0.18.22 · data last changed 10 Nov 2026
Example · engine 0.18.22 on the sample above. Paste yours to replace it.
3 errors: no lang attribute, images without alt text, low-contrast text.
Score 56 of 100. Accessibility score from the engine; higher is better.
What lowers the score
Missing lang attribute on <html> element
Screen readers use the lang attribute to determine pronunciation. Add lang="en" (or appropriate language code).
Image missing alt attribute
<img src="https://example.com/banner.png"> · Every image must have an alt attribute. Use alt="" for decorative images.
Low contrast ratio 2.3:1, fails WCAG minimum
<p>Acme Goods, 48 Market Street, Portland, ...</p> · Foreground #aaaaaa on background needs at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio.
Link text "Click here" is not descriptive
<a href="https://example.com/digest"> · Screen readers often list links out of context. Use text that describes the destination.
Heading level skipped: h1 to h3
Skipped heading levels can confuse screen readers. Use sequential heading levels.
Not covered here: whether the images' alt text says the right thing, reading order once a client restyles the email, and how a screen reader announces it.
Paste your own email above and check it, or open the checker and paste it there: five clients, no account.
No signup · Five clients free, Outlook Classic included · All 21 with an account
Which clients need an account
Gmail Android, Gmail iOS, Outlook 365, Outlook iOS, Outlook Android, Outlook for Mac, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail Android, Yahoo Mail iOS, Samsung Mail, Thunderbird, HEY Mail, Proton Mail, AOL Mail, Fastmail, Superhuman open with a free account.
The checker needs a computer screen.
Check one color pair
Text color
Background color
3.54:1Fail · AA normal textPass · AA large textFail · AAA normal text
Your next question
- Will dark mode make your text unreadable? Preview it, free.
- Does every link go somewhere? Check your links, free.
Other free tools: Subject Line & Preheader Tester · Plain-Text Generator · AI Fix-Prompt Generator · Gmail Clipping & Size Checker · HTML Email Minifier · UTM Link Builder
Run this check on every email
The open-source CLI runs this same audit on every template, free: npx @emailens/cli lint email.html
(CLI docs).
Questions
What contrast ratio do emails need to pass WCAG?
WCAG 2.1 AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (roughly 18px bold or 24px regular). AAA raises normal text to 7:1. The color pair check on this page shows a ratio against all three thresholds.
Why does email accessibility matter?
Missing alt text leaves images meaningless to screen readers, low contrast makes copy hard to read, and a missing lang attribute breaks pronunciation. Accessible markup also tends to render more reliably across clients.
What makes an email accessible?
Descriptive alt text on meaningful images (and empty alt on decorative ones), sufficient color contrast, a set lang attribute, a logical heading order, real text instead of text baked into images, and semantic table roles. This tool flags the ones it can detect from your HTML.