Easy WCAG 1.1 fixes common accessibility gaps in the HTML Joomla actually sends to the browser. It also runs a focused checklist for issues that should not be invented automatically. Article source stays unchanged. It does not claim WCAG AA certification.

CDN overlays load remote scripts on every visit and can hurt Google PageSpeed. Easy WCAG runs on your server. No visitor widget. No phone-home.

What you can do

• Fix missing lang, image alt, iframe titles, empty controls, new-window safety, form labels, and skip to content
• Run a checklist for duplicate IDs, broken ARIA, unnamed controls, heading outline, and title or lang
• Add your own report, replace, regex, or attribute rules
• See Fixed, Checklist, Needs review, and Switched off in a Super User debug panel
• Turn off any item. Exclude components, URLs, menu items, or selectors
• Pair with Easy Accessibility for visitor preferences

Who it is for

Site owners who want safer live HTML without an overlay, without rewriting every article, and with a clear view of what still needs a human.

Built for modern Joomla

• Joomla 4, 5, and 6
• PHP 8.1 or later recommended
• No jQuery and no CDN
• Self-hosted: no visitor tracking

Before you install

• Joomla: 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x
• PHP: 8.1 or newer
• Access: a Super User (or administrator) account so you can install extensions

Helpful but optional

• A template with a main landmark id such as #sp-main, #main, or #content (for skip to content)
• Easy Accessibility if you also want a visitor preference toolbar

Not required

• jQuery
• A custom component or extra database table
• Any third-party accessibility overlay or CDN

Step 1: Download

Email: After you buy from the JoomlaX store, you get an email with the download link.

Store: You can also open the Downloads section and use the same email you used when buying.

File name: EasyWcag_UNZIP.zip

Step 2: Unzip on your computer

1. Right-click EasyWcag_UNZIP.zip and choose Extract (or Unzip).
2. Inside you should see:
   • plg_system_easywcag_1.1.0.zip (install this one)
   • ReadMe.txt

Step 3: Install in Joomla

1. Log in to the Joomla administrator.
2. Go to System > Install > Extensions.
3. Click Upload Package File.
4. Choose plg_system_easywcag_1.1.0.zip and wait for the success message.
5. Clear Joomla cache: System > Maintenance > Clear Cache.

Enable the plugin

1. Go to System > Plugins.
2. Find System - Easy WCAG and enable it.

Updates

Install a newer plg_system_easywcag zip the same way. The plugin uses method="upgrade", so your settings stay safe.

Follow these steps in order the first time. You can finish in a few minutes.

1. Enable and choose a mode

1. Open System > Plugins > System - Easy WCAG.
2. Leave Mode as Fix for production, or choose Report only while you inspect.
3. Save.

2. Turn on the Super User debug panel (recommended)

1. Set Super User debug panel to Yes.
2. Log in to the frontend as Super Administrator.
3. Visit any page. A panel lists Fixed, Checklist, Needs review, and Switched off. Visitors never see it.

3. Confirm skip targets (optional)

1. View source on a typical article and find the main content id.
2. If it is not #sp-main, #main, #content, or #sp-component, add it to Skip targets.

4. Check the front end

1. Open any public page.
2. View source for an HTML comment such as Easy WCAG (fix): FIXED ...; REPORT ....
3. If something looks old, clear cache and hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5).

Student tip

Turn on Mark fixes while testing so changed tags are easier to spot. Turn it off on production unless you still need it.

Fix

Selected rules rewrite the response HTML. This is the default and the usual production setting.

Report only

The HTML is not changed. Easy WCAG still lists what would have been fixed and what the checklist found. Use the Super User debug panel or the HTML comment summary.

Off

The plugin stays installed but does nothing. Use this instead of uninstalling when you need a quick pause.

HTML comment summary

When Yes, a short comment is appended before </body> with FIXED, REPORT, and REVIEW counts.

Super User debug panel

When Yes, Super Administrators see a frontend panel for the current page. Visitors never see it.

Set html lang

If the page has no lang attribute, Easy WCAG sets it from the active site language.

Missing image alt

Adds alt from the filename when the attribute is missing. Decorative images get empty alt. Fill empty alt is off by default so intentional empty alt is kept.

Iframe title

Adds a title when none exists. YouTube, Vimeo, and Google Maps get specific labels; other hosts use the site name.

Empty links and buttons

Adds a name when there is no visible text, title, or image alt. Home, email, and phone hrefs get clearer names.

New window links

On target=_blank: adds rel="noopener noreferrer" if missing, and a screen-reader hint that the link opens in a new window.

Unlabelled inputs

For text-like inputs, select, and textarea: if there is no label, Easy WCAG adds a name from placeholder or name.

Skip to content

Injects a skip link when a configured main id exists and no skip link is already present.

Positive tabindex

Off by default. When on, tabindex greater than 0 becomes 0. Enable only if you understand that it can change intended focus order.

Checklist items report high-confidence issues. They do not invent heading levels, rename IDs, or rewrite complex ARIA. Each item has its own on/off switch.

Duplicate IDs

Reports duplicate id values. Never renames them, because JavaScript, CSS, and labels may depend on the original id.

Broken ARIA references

Reports aria-labelledby and aria-describedby values that point at missing IDs.

Unnamed controls

Reports links, buttons, and inputs that have no accessible name before Fix runs.

Heading outline

Reports missing H1, multiple H1s (informational), and possible heading jumps. Language is "possible structural issue", not a WCAG failure claim. Levels are never rewritten.

Page title and lang

Reports missing or empty title, and empty or invalid lang. Missing lang can still be fixed when Set html lang is on.

Needs review

• Filename alt review
• Placeholder label review
• Generic name review (Link or Button fallbacks)

These still apply the safe fallback when the matching Fix rule is on. The checklist only flags them for a human look.

Open System > Plugins > System - Easy WCAG > Custom rules.

Report only

Log a match in the comment and debug panel without changing HTML.

Find and replace

Literal replace on the response. Runs in Fix mode only.

Regex replace

A PHP regular expression. Runs in Fix mode only. Keep patterns simple.

Add attribute

Target a simple selector such as span.status, a.btn, or #search, then set an attribute. Only if missing stays on by default so existing values are not overwritten.

Developer rules

Add extra PHP rules without forking the plugin. Copy the sample in the plugin Rule/Sample folder, or list class names in PHP rule classes.

Custom rules are for site-specific gaps. They are not a replacement for a real accessibility review.

Open System > Plugins > System - Easy WCAG.

Behaviour

• Mode: Fix, Report only, or Off
• HTML comment summary
• Super User debug panel (frontend, Super Administrators only)
• Mark fixes in HTML

Fix rules

• Set html lang, Missing image alt, Fill empty alt
• Iframe title, Empty links and buttons, New window links
• Unlabelled inputs, Skip to content, Skip targets
• Positive tabindex (off by default)

Checklist

• Duplicate IDs, Broken ARIA references, Unnamed controls
• Heading outline, Page title and lang
• Filename alt review, Placeholder label review, Generic name review

Custom rules

• Your rules (report, replace, regex, add attribute)
• PHP rule classes (optional)

Advanced

• Exclude components
• Exclude URL fragments
• Exclude menu item IDs
• Exclude selectors

Default component excludes include com_ajax, com_media, and com_finder.

Easy WCAG is intentionally conservative. It will not:

• Rewrite heading levels
• Rename IDs
• Invent meaningful alt text beyond the filename
• Fix colour contrast, font size, or complex focus styles
• Prove full keyboard access for JavaScript widgets
• Certify WCAG A, AA, or AAA
• Replace Easy Accessibility (visitor preferences) or a professional review

Use it as a first pass on the live HTML. Pair with Easy Accessibility for visitor controls. Book a real accessibility review when you need a compliance claim.

The live demo at demo.joomlax.com/demo/utilities/easy-wcag includes intentionally incomplete markup:

• An image without alt
• An iframe without title
• An icon-only home link
• A target=_blank link without rel
• A search input with placeholder only
• Duplicate IDs (report only)
• A broken ARIA reference (report only)
• A heading jump (report only)
• A custom attribute rule example

With Mode set to Fix, view source to see the added attributes. Log in as Super Administrator with the debug panel on to see Fixed, Checklist, Needs review, and Switched off on the page.

Behaviour

• mode, html_comment, debug_mode, mark_fixes

Fix rules

• fix_html_lang, fix_img_alt, fill_empty_alt
• fix_iframe_title, fix_empty_controls, fix_new_window
• fix_form_labels, fix_skip_link, skip_targets
• fix_tabindex

Checklist

• report_duplicate_ids, report_broken_aria, report_unnamed_controls
• report_headings, report_title_lang
• review_filename_alt, review_form_fallback, review_generic_name

Custom

• custom_rules, custom_php_rules

Advanced

• exclude_components, exclude_urls, exclude_menu_ids, exclude_selectors

Common uses

• Template cleanup: missing lang, skip link, and icon-only header links
• Editor gaps: images pasted without alt, embeds without title
• External CTAs: target=_blank links that forgot rel and a new-window hint
• Search boxes: placeholder-only inputs in modules
• Audit first: Report only, then turn on Fix when you like the list
• Agency review: Super User debug panel on client sites without a separate scanner
• Site-specific gaps: custom report or attribute rules for your template

Planning tips

• Keep Fill empty alt off unless you know empty alt is accidental
• Keep Positive tabindex off unless a third-party script forced bad tabindex values
• Exclude checkout, builder, or ajax endpoints if they return HTML fragments
• Turn Mark fixes off on production unless you are still debugging
• Use Easy Accessibility when visitors need their own text size, contrast, or Read Mode

• Nothing changes

  • Confirm System - Easy WCAG is enabled and Mode is Fix. Clear cache. View source for the HTML comment, or turn on the Super User debug panel.

• I do not see the debug panel

  • You must be logged in as Super Administrator, and Super User debug panel must be Yes. Visitors never see it.

• Skip link does not appear

  • Check that one of the Skip targets ids exists on the page. Add your template main id if needed. Confirm no existing skip link is already present.

• Alt looks wrong

  • Filename-based alt is a fallback. Set a real alt in the article or Media for important images. Turn Fill empty alt off if empty alt is intentional.

• A page builder layout looks off

  • Exclude the component, URL, menu item, or selector. Or turn off Empty links and buttons if the builder uses icon links with visually hidden text that Easy WCAG cannot see.

• Report only still looks unchanged

  • That is expected. Check the HTML comment or the Super User debug panel.

• Plugin name shows as PLG_SYSTEM_EASYWCAG

  • Reinstall the zip so language files are in place. Clear cache and reload Plugins.

• Which Joomla versions are supported?

  • Joomla 4, 5, and 6. PHP 8.1 or later is recommended.

• What file do I install?

  • Unzip EasyWcag_UNZIP.zip, then install plg_system_easywcag_1.1.0.zip from System > Install > Extensions.

• Does it change article source?

  • No. Fixes apply only to the HTML sent to the browser.

• Does this make the site WCAG AA?

  • No. It does not claim certification. It covers a focused set of mechanical gaps and reports what still needs a human.

• Is it an overlay?

  • No. There is no visitor widget and no CDN script. That is better for Google PageSpeed than overlay products.

• Can I add my own rules?

  • Yes. Report, find and replace, regex, or add an attribute in plugin settings. Developers can add extra PHP rules without forking.

• Where can I get help?

  • Visit support.joomlax.com. Include your Joomla version, PHP version, page URL, and whether Mode is Fix or Report only.

Documentation: joomlax.com/documentation/easy-wcag

Demo: demo.joomlax.com/demo/utilities/easy-wcag