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Accessibility statement for Shopify stores: what to include

Updated 2026-11-02

If you sell to consumers in the EU, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), in force since 28 June 2025, requires service providers to make information available on how their service meets the accessibility requirements. For online shops, this information is usually published as an accessibility statement, a page linked from the footer. National laws define the details. This guide explains what a useful statement contains and how to add it to a Shopify store.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. The exact information you must provide depends on the national law that applies to you.

Why a statement is worth doing well

A good statement is honest about the current state of the site, tells people how to get help, and shows that someone is responsible for accessibility. A statement that claims "fully compliant" without testing helps nobody. It can also backfire if a customer or authority finds obvious barriers.

What to include

1. Scope

Name the store and the domains the statement covers, for example example.com and the Shopify checkout. If you run several country stores or languages, say which ones it covers.

2. Standard you aim for

State the target standard: EN 301 549, which for web content refers to WCAG 2.1 level AA. Don't claim a level you haven't checked.

3. Conformance status

Be honest and use one of three plain options: fully, partially or not conformant. Most shops will be "partially conformant" after a first round of fixes, and saying so is fine.

4. Known limitations

List the known issues in plain language, for example "Some older product images lack text alternatives" or "The third-party review widget is not fully keyboard accessible". Where possible, add what you're doing about each one and a target date.

5. How the service meets the requirements

EAA-based national laws usually ask for a general description of the service in an accessible format and an explanation of how it meets the accessibility requirements. For a shop, that means describing what you did, for example keyboard-operable navigation and checkout steps, labelled forms, text alternatives for product images, sufficient contrast, and support for zoom and screen readers.

6. How the statement was prepared

Say how and when you assessed the site: a self-assessment, an automated scan plus manual keyboard and screen reader testing, or an external review. Include the date of the last review.

7. Feedback and contact

Give a way to report barriers and to request information in an accessible format, such as an email address and, ideally, a phone number. Say roughly when people can expect an answer.

8. Enforcement / authority

Many national laws name a market surveillance authority that consumers can contact. Naming the competent authority for your country makes the statement more complete. In Austria, for example, it is the Sozialministeriumservice. See our overview of enforcement by country.

9. Date

Include the date the statement was created and last updated. Review it whenever you change the theme or install a major app.

Adding the statement to Shopify

  1. In the Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Pages and create a page called "Accessibility statement".
  2. Write the content with real headings (Heading 2, Heading 3) rather than bold text, so screen reader users can navigate it.
  3. Add the page to the footer menu under Online Store → Navigation, so it's reachable from every page.
  4. If you have several languages, translate the statement with Shopify's language tools and keep each version up to date.

WooCommerce works the same way: create a WordPress page and add it to the footer menu.

Common mistakes

  • Copying a generator template without testing. Free generators exist, including one from the W3C (W3C WAI: Developing an Accessibility Statement). They help with structure, but the content has to reflect your real site.
  • Claiming compliance because of an overlay widget. An overlay doesn't fix theme code. Describe what was actually changed.
  • Hiding the page. If the link is only in the sitemap, nobody will find it.
  • Never updating it. Themes, apps and content change. Add a review date to your calendar.
  • Making the statement itself inaccessible. No PDFs, no text inside images, and use proper headings.

Let us write it with you

Our €79 package includes a report on the main barriers in your store and a draft accessibility statement based on what we actually found. If you'd also like us to fix the issues, the €199 package covers up to 15 fixes in your theme. Start with a free mini-check.

Not legal advice. EAA Fix is a technical service by ETHMO GmbH and does not guarantee legal conformity.