Aether WCAG Scanner

Aether WCAG Scanner

A Claude Code plugin that finds WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility violations and returns ready-to-apply fixes — not just a list of problems.

It drives a real browser (Playwright + axe-core) across desktop, tablet, and mobile viewports, then pairs each violation with a concrete fix: corrected HTML, the relevant WCAG success criteria, and technique code examples.

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Why it's different

Plain Claude Code can guess at accessibility issues by reading your markup. This plugin actually runs your page and grounds every fix in the WCAG spec.

	Plain Claude Code	Aether (offline)	Aether (with API key)
Detection	Eyeballs the HTML it can see	Real browser + axe-core, all viewports	Real browser + axe-core, all viewports
Coverage	Misses computed/runtime issues	Catches contrast, ARIA, focus, names	Same
Fixes	Generic suggestions	Built-in fix templates	RAG-backed fixes + WCAG technique code
Grounding	None	Rule IDs + severity	Cited success criteria + techniques
Works offline	n/a	Yes	Falls back to offline automatically

The scanner degrades gracefully: with no API key (or when offline or rate-limited) it still returns template-based fixes for every violation. Add an API key and the same violations come back with corpus-grounded fixes and WCAG technique snippets.

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Install

/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/allchemylabs/claude-plugins.git
/plugin install aether-wcag-scanner@allchemylabs

Once the official Claude Code marketplace listing is live, you can also install it directly from there.

The install prompts for your Allchemy Labs API key; paste the key you got from beta.allchemylabs.ai. To set or change it later:

/plugin configure aether-wcag-scanner@allchemylabs

The first start installs the plugin's dependencies (about a minute) and the first scan downloads Chromium for Playwright. If /mcp shows the server as not connected right after install, wait a moment and run /reload-plugins.

Running without a key

The scanner itself runs locally and works without a key: you get template fixes for every violation. The key adds corpus-grounded fixes from the hosted insights engine. Set it via the prompt above, or put ALLCHEMY_API_KEY=<key> in the .env of the project you are scanning.

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Use it outside Claude Code (any MCP client)

The same server is published to npm and the MCP Registry as @allchemylabs/aether-wcag-scanner. Any MCP client that speaks stdio can run it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aether-wcag-scanner": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@allchemylabs/aether-wcag-scanner"],
      "env": { "ALLCHEMY_API_KEY": "<your beta key>" }
    }
  }
}

The first scan downloads Chromium once (about 150 MB). Without ALLCHEMY_API_KEY the scanner still runs fully offline and returns template fixes.

Claude Code gets the /wcag-scan skill, which drives the scan → review → fix → verify loop. Other agents only see the tool descriptions and the instructions the server sends at connect time, so for the same behaviour copy AGENTS.md into your project (Codex reads it natively; Cursor and Windsurf accept it as a rules file). Without it an agent may fetch the page HTML and guess instead of running the browser scan.

The 5 tools

Tool	What it does
aether_scan_and_fix	Recommended. Scan a URL — or a single-page app across routes via the spa block — and return violations with fixes, each verified on the real browser, in one call. Set maxFixes: 0 for a fast scan-only pass.
aether_get_fix	Get a fix for one specific violation (verified on the real browser). Omit html to instead get a rule-level explanation — WCAG success criteria and technique examples.
aether_verify_fix	Deterministically verify a fix with real Playwright + axe — re-scan a URL or diff original vs fixed HTML. Reports whether the target cleared, any new regressions, and the net compliance delta.
aether_check_html	Analyze an HTML snippet for issues — no live URL or browser needed.
aether_submit_feedback	Rate a fix (useful / not useful) so the guidance engine keeps improving; your correction helps seed better fixes.

Just ask Claude naturally, e.g. "check localhost:3000 for accessibility issues and fix them" — it will pick the right tool.

The /wcag-scan skill

Run /wcag-scan <url> for a guided workflow: scan → review violations → apply fixes → re-scan to verify → summarize. The skill orchestrates the tools above and edits your files in place.

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Scanning single-page apps

Pass a spa block to aether_scan_and_fix instead of url:

{ "spa": { "entryUrl": "http://localhost:4200", "framework": "angular", "maxRoutes": 10 } }

• entryUrl — where the app boots. Routes are discovered by crawling client-side links unless you list them in routes: [{ "path": "/settings", "name": "Settings" }].
• framework — angular, react, vue, or omit to auto-detect.
• maxRoutes — cap on discovered routes.

Navigation is client-side (the browser context and app state are kept between routes), and readiness is decided by a layered stability cascade — DOM quiet, framework hooks such as Angular testability, pending-request drain — never by Playwright's networkidle, which deadlocks on apps with long-polling or websockets. A config that sets networkIdle is rejected for that reason.

Requirements

• Node.js >= 20
• Chromium (installed automatically on first run)

Disclaimer

Aether is an accessibility analysis and guidance tool. Using the platform does not, by itself, make your website, application, or digital service conformant with WCAG, the ADA (including Title II), the European Accessibility Act, Section 508, EN 301 549, or any other accessibility law or standard.

Automated scans detect only a subset of accessibility barriers. A "zero issues" result means the scanner did not flag anything in its detection range — not that the property is legally compliant.

You remain responsible for:

• reviewing findings with qualified people
• fixing issues in the underlying code and content
• conducting or commissioning manual testing and audits as needed
• maintaining accessibility as the product changes
• obtaining legal advice for your specific obligations

Aether does not provide legal advice and does not replace an accessibility audit or a VPAT/ACR prepared by a qualified auditor.

License

MIT for the client (this plugin). The hosted insights engine and related Allchemy Labs services are proprietary — see LICENSE and NOTICE.