Use Cypress to run repeatable accessibility scans on the routes and interaction states that matter, then add behavior-focused assertions and manual evaluation. A green automated scan is useful evidence about the rendered states it checked; it is not proof that a service meets the European Accessibility Act (EAA). First determine whether the service is in scope and which requirements apply to it.
Start by checking whether the EAA applies
The EAA is Directive (EU) 2019/882. It sets accessibility requirements for defined categories of products and services, rather than automatically covering every website. EU business guidance gives online shops, ticketing platforms and banking services as examples. It says covered products and services placed on the market after 28 June 2025 are subject to the requirements, subject to scope, exceptions and transition arrangements. A qualifying microenterprise providing services is among the exceptions described in that guidance.
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Use the Directive and Your Europe’s accessibility guidance to begin scoping, then check the national measures relevant to the actual service. The service category, provider and applicable Member State rules matter; this is scoping guidance, not a legal determination.
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Choose the applicable requirements before choosing scan rules
Map the obligations for your service to the technical requirements and standard version that actually apply. EN 301 549 is an ICT accessibility standard covering software, hardware and services; it is not simply another name for WCAG. The AccessibleEU overview of EN 301 549 describes its broad scope and says the standard was being updated to support the EAA. The Commission’s WAD explanation also illustrates that EN 301 549 includes material beyond WCAG in that context. Neither point settles the latest EAA-specific harmonised reference or its status in the Official Journal.
Use applicable requirements to decide what to test. A scan configured for selected WCAG success criteria can help find detectable issues, but a WCAG scan is not by itself a legal mapping or proof that every EAA obligation is met.
Plan Cypress coverage around user journeys and states
Automated scans inspect the page or component as rendered at the moment the scan runs. A test that scans only the initial page load can miss barriers that appear after user interaction. Build a route-and-state inventory from the service’s important journeys; choose the states that expose distinct content, controls or errors.
- Cover representative routes and reusable components, not just the homepage.
- Include interaction states such as an expanded menu, form validation errors, an open modal, search results, authenticated content and dynamically loaded content where relevant.
- For a service with a purchase or payment journey, include the checkout steps and their error or confirmation states.
- At each meaningful state boundary, run the accessibility scan against the rendered page or component.
- Keep the route, state and scan configuration identifiable in test output so a failure points to something a developer can reproduce.
This inventory is a practical testing recommendation, not a prescribed EAA test list. Adapt it to the service and the requirements you identified.
Add automated scans to Cypress without treating them as a verdict
Cypress documents two broad approaches: community plugin integrations used in Cypress tests, including cypress-axe with Deque’s axe-core, and Cypress Accessibility, a paid enterprise solution in Cypress Cloud. With cypress-axe, the documented approach injects axe into the rendered page or component and checks that state; its checks can be configured around selected WCAG success criteria and related rules. Follow the current Cypress accessibility testing guide for installation, API syntax, configuration and reporting, since those product and plugin details can change.
Make scan failures actionable in CI: identify the failing route and state, retain useful output, and assign remediation rather than silently suppressing findings. Select rules deliberately and document exclusions or configuration decisions. A tool’s issue count is meaningful only alongside what was scanned and which rules were enabled.
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Scans can detect some common issues in the rendered state, including poor contrast, missing labels for icons or buttons, and images without alt text. They cannot establish every legal requirement, determine whether text alternatives are meaningful in context, or reliably judge every interaction. Cypress itself cautions teams to understand the chosen library’s limitations and expected coverage, and to plan manual checks or traditional Cypress assertions for behavior a generic scan cannot establish.
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Test behavior and usability in addition to scan results
Pair automated findings with Cypress assertions for expected interaction behavior and a human evaluation plan. Depending on the service, review keyboard operation and focus movement, form instructions and error recovery, modal behavior, content changes, and whether the information and controls make sense to users. Arrange appropriate assistive-technology evaluation as part of the service’s testing process; do not infer screen-reader compatibility from an axe scan.
Automated checks are a useful repeatable layer, not a replacement for expert review or evaluation by people with disabilities. The result you can defend is the combination of requirement mapping, tested states, automated findings, behavior checks and manual evaluation—not a green scan alone.
Keep evidence connected to applicable requirements
Maintain a traceable record that lets your team explain both what it tested and how the service meets applicable requirements. Annex V of the EAA describes information service providers must include about the service and how relevant Annex I requirements are met. Check national implementation and service-specific obligations for the exact documentation format.
- Record the service scope, applicable requirements and the basis for that mapping.
- List the routes, components and interaction states covered, including important states not yet tested.
- Identify the Cypress approach, tool and configuration, such as selected rules and any exclusions.
- Keep findings, remediation status and relevant retest evidence.
- Record manual and behavior-focused evaluation separately from automated scan results.
A screenshot may help someone inspect a visual state, but it does not prove keyboard behavior, screen-reader output or legal conformance.
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Cypress documents a community-plugin route and a paid Cypress Accessibility option in Cypress Cloud. Choose based on how your team works and what evidence and reporting it needs; neither option independently proves EAA compliance.
| Consideration | Community plugin integration | Cypress Accessibility |
|---|---|---|
| Availability and cost | Community integrations such as cypress-axe are documented; pricing is not stated in the cited Cypress guide. | Described by Cypress as a paid enterprise solution in Cypress Cloud; pricing is not stated in the cited guide. |
| Where it fits | Integrates accessibility scans into existing Cypress tests. | Accessibility testing option within Cypress Cloud. |
| Coverage decisions | Teams need to understand the selected library’s coverage and configure scans for relevant states and rules. | Teams still need to understand coverage and test the service’s relevant routes and states. |
| What it cannot replace | Manual evaluation and Cypress assertions for behavior that generic scans cannot establish. | Manual evaluation and behavior-focused testing; the option is not a stand-alone compliance proof. |
Compare integration with your existing Cypress and CI workflow, rule configuration, coverage of routes and dynamic states, reporting and remediation process, and how the approach fits with manual evaluation. Confirm current product details in Cypress documentation before adopting a specific configuration.
Troubleshoot common gaps
- The test passes, but users still encounter a barrier: the scan may have covered only one rendered state or may not evaluate that behavior. Add the missing route or interaction state, use a behavior-focused Cypress assertion where appropriate, and arrange human evaluation.
- A scan reports many findings without a clear fix path: make the route, state, rule configuration and finding visible to the team. Triage and remediate findings rather than hiding them wholesale; review any exclusions and retain their rationale.
- A change fixes one screen but another still fails: expand coverage to representative routes and shared components, then retest the affected states. A scan of a single page does not establish that the rest of the service is clear.
- The team is unsure whether WCAG or EN 301 549 is the right target: return to the service scope, applicable requirements and national measures. Do not equate a scan configured for WCAG criteria with EAA compliance.
- A screenshot looks correct but the interaction remains uncertain: test the behavior directly and include keyboard or assistive-technology evaluation as appropriate. A static image cannot establish how controls operate.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server, not an accessibility scanner or EAA compliance checker. It can capture a URL as an image or PDF for visual review, but it cannot replace Cypress scans, behavior assertions or manual accessibility evaluation. See ScreenshotNeo and its API documentation.
One GET request can return a screenshot; this cURL example saves a WebP capture:
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