Digital experience standards

Based on web protocol, guidelines public, policy and best practices.

Indicators Standard WhyGuidance
The site allows search engines and AI agents to index its pages.
Allows AI bots to find and index your pages, helping your content appear in search results and reach more people.
The page's main content loads without requiring JavaScript.
Ensures search engines can read and index the content within a document, making it discoverable and improving visibility online.
Homepage is marked up as an official government organization.
Identifies websites as official government agencies for AI systems and search engines to recognize automatically.
The sitemap file loads and returns a successful response.
Confirms the sitemap is accessible, ensuring search engines can easily find and index all pages on the site.
The sitemap file uses the required XML format.
Stores site structure in a readable format, helping search engines efficiently crawl and index all website pages.
The site has a robots.txt file that guides search engines.
Guides search engines on which pages to crawl or avoid, ensuring important content is indexed and irrelevant pages aren't.
The robots.txt file allows search engines and AI agents to crawl the site.
Permits search engines and web tools to access content, helping improve search visibility and gather relevant data.
The robots.txt file links to the sitemap.
Helps search engines find the sitemap quickly, improving how they discover and index website pages.
Each page declares a preferred URL so search engines show the right link.
Prevents duplicate content issues by telling search engines which version of a page is the main one.
Links use descriptive text that tells users and search engines where they go.
Describes the link’s purpose clearly, helping users know where it leads and improving navigation for everyone.
Pages declare their language and region for international users.
Indicates page language and region, helping users see the right version and improving search results in different countries.
Each access key shortcut is unique so keyboard navigation works correctly.
Allows keyboard-only users and screen reader users to efficiently move through and interact with page content.
Accessibility attributes are only used where they are supported.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility roles are only applied to elements that support them.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Buttons, links, and menu items have labels that screen readers can announce.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility attributes are only used when the element's role allows them.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility roles use current, supported values.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Dialog boxes have labels so screen readers can describe their purpose.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
The page body is not hidden from screen readers.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Interactive elements are not hidden from screen reader users.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Form input fields have labels that screen readers can announce.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Meter elements have labels so screen readers can announce their value.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Progress bars have labels so screen readers can describe their status.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility attributes are not used where they are prohibited.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility roles include all required attributes so screen readers can describe the element.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Interactive groups contain all the child elements they need to work correctly.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Interactive elements are nested inside the correct parent container.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility roles use valid, recognized values.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Text groupings do not hide interactive elements from screen readers.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Toggle controls have labels that screen readers can announce.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Tooltips have labels so screen readers can describe their content.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Tree navigation items have labels that screen readers can announce.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility attributes use valid values so screen readers can interpret them.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Accessibility attributes use valid, recognized names.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Buttons have labels so screen readers can describe their action.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
The page has a skip link so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.
Allows keyboard-only users and screen reader users to efficiently move through and interact with page content.
Text and background colors meet minimum contrast ratios.
Makes text readable for users with low vision or color blindness by ensuring sufficient visual distinction.
Definition lists use correct markup so screen readers can announce them properly.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
Definition list items are nested inside the correct parent element.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
The page has a descriptive title visible in browser tabs and search results.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Each element has a unique ID so screen readers can reference it correctly.
Ensures assistive technologies like screen readers can correctly interpret and announce page elements to users with disabilities.
Each form field has only one label so screen readers announce it correctly.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Embedded frames have titles so screen readers can describe their content.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Page headings follow a logical order without skipping levels.
Allows keyboard-only users and screen reader users to efficiently move through and interact with page content.
The page declares its language so screen readers use the correct voice.
Helps screen readers pronounce content correctly by identifying the language of the page and its elements.
The page has a valid language code so screen readers pronounce content correctly.
Helps screen readers pronounce content correctly by identifying the language of the page and its elements.
The page's language setting is consistent so screen readers pronounce content correctly.
Helps screen readers pronounce content correctly by identifying the language of the page and its elements.
Images have descriptive alt text or are marked as decorative.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Image alt text does not duplicate the surrounding visible text.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Input buttons have labels so screen readers can describe their action.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Image buttons have alt text that describes their action.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Form fields have labels so screen readers can identify them.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Links in body text are visually distinct from surrounding text, not by color alone.
Makes text readable for users with low vision or color blindness by ensuring sufficient visual distinction.
Links have unique, descriptive text so users know where they go.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Lists use correct markup so screen readers can announce them properly.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
List items are nested inside a valid parent list element.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
The page does not use automatic refresh or redirect tags.
Follows established patterns that prevent common usability barriers for people with disabilities.
The page allows users to zoom in on mobile devices.
Follows established patterns that prevent common usability barriers for people with disabilities.
Embedded objects have alt text so screen readers can describe their content.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Dropdown menus have labels so screen readers can identify them.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
Skip links are visible and reachable by keyboard so users can bypass navigation.
Gives screen reader users meaningful descriptions of interactive elements so they can understand and use them.
The page uses natural keyboard tab order without manual overrides.
Allows keyboard-only users and screen reader users to efficiently move through and interact with page content.
Table captions and summaries have different content.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
Buttons and interactive elements are large enough to tap easily on touch screens.
Follows established patterns that prevent common usability barriers for people with disabilities.
Table data cells correctly reference their header cells.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
Table headers have associated data cells.
Helps screen readers announce structured content (tables, lists) in a logical order that users can understand.
Language codes on page elements are valid so screen readers pronounce content correctly.
Helps screen readers pronounce content correctly by identifying the language of the page and its elements.
Videos include captions for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Provides alternative ways to access media content for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Headings have visible, descriptive text so screen readers can announce them.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
Links to the same destination have consistent text across the page.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
The page has exactly one main content area so screen readers can navigate to it.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
A button or link's visible label matches what screen readers announce.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
Tables use the caption element to label their content.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
Each cell in a large table is linked to a header so screen readers can navigate it.
Improves the experience for assistive technology users by ensuring content structure is clear and consistent.
Images display at their intended proportions.
Ensures images display correctly without distortion on different screens and devices.
The page has a doctype declaration so browsers render it correctly.
Helps browsers display web pages correctly by telling them what kind of HTML code the page is using.
The page declares its character encoding so text displays correctly.
Helps computers show words and symbols correctly in different languages and on different devices.
The page has a unique, descriptive title shown in browser tabs and search results.
Identifies the page's content, helping users and search engines understand it quickly.
The page has a meta description that summarizes its content for search results.
Describes page content briefly, helping users understand what to expect and improving search engine results.
Page content is written at a reading level most users can understand.
Improves communication by helping readers quickly understand messages without confusion or frustration.
The page scales correctly on mobile devices and tablets.
Optimizes page display for various devices, ensuring content looks good on all screen sizes and enhances user experience.
The site works whether users type www or not.
Ensures consistent site display whether users type with or without 'www,' preventing errors and improving overall accessibility.
Page content stays in place as the page loads.
Minimizes unexpected page movements, improving user experience by keeping content stable while it loads.
The page starts displaying content within 1.8 seconds.
Measures how quickly important content appears, improving user experience by reducing wait time when loading a page.
The page responds to user interactions in under 0.2 seconds.
A fast response time increases interactivity and user satisfaction, leading to a more engaging experience.
The page's main content loads within 2.5 seconds.
Measures when the main content fully loads, improving user experience by showing the most important part of a page quickly.
The server sends the first byte of content within 0.8 seconds.
Measures how quickly a server responds, impacting page load speed and user experience by reducing wait times.
The site has a name for social media and browser display.
Sets the website's title for social media sharing, ensuring consistent branding and better previews when content is shared.
The page declares its content type for social media cards.
Specifies content type for social media, improving how links are displayed and enhancing engagement when shared online.
The page has a title for social media previews.
Sets a clear title for shared content, ensuring accurate and engaging previews on social media platforms.
The page has a description for social media previews.
Provides a brief summary of content, helping users understand what the link is about when shared on social media.
The page has a canonical URL for social media sharing.
Defines the URL of the shared content, ensuring correct linking and improving how the page is displayed on social media.
The page has a preview image for social media cards.
Sets an image for social media previews, improving engagement by displaying relevant visuals when content is shared.
The social media preview image has alt text for screen readers.
Provides a description for the image, improving accessibility and helping search engines understand the image content.
The site has a policy that limits what external content can load on its pages.
Helps stop hackers by blocking harmful code from running on your website.
The site forces an encrypted HTTPS connection for all users.
Forces secure connections, protecting user data by making websites always load with encryption.
The site has a security.txt file so researchers know how to report issues.
Provides contact info for reporting security issues, helping site owners fix problems quickly and keep users safe.
The site tells browsers not to guess the type of files it serves.
Stops browsers from guessing file types, helping prevent security risks by enforcing correct content handling.
The page loads without JavaScript or network errors.
Signals problems in website code, helping developers fix issues that could affect how the site works or displays.
    The site prevents other websites from embedding its pages to trick users into clicking.
    Prevents malicious websites from tricking users into clicking hidden elements, enhancing site security and protecting user actions.
    The page lets users paste content into form fields.
    Negatively impacts user experience and weakens security by blocking password managers.
      The site uses HTTPS to encrypt data between the server and users.
      Secures data by encrypting communication, protecting user privacy and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information during online interactions.
      The site uses a government-issued domain (.gov, .edu, or .mil).
      Defines trusted website categories, helping users identify official sites and improving credibility and security for specific organizations.