Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker

Use the Accessibility Checker

1. Select the Review tab.

   Note

   In Outlook, you'll only see the Review tab when writing or replying to messages.

2. Select Check Accessibility to open the Accessibility pane on the right. 
   

   Tip

   For Word, Excel, and PowerPoint desktops, select the lower half of the Check Accessibility button for more options. 

3. In the Accessibility pane, review and address the findings under Inspection Results. 

Apply recommended actions

In the Accessibility pane, you'll see a list of errors and warnings, with how-to-fix recommendations for each.

To quickly correct the issues, apply one of the recommended actions. For more information on how the findings are categorized, see Rules for the Accessibility Checker. 

1. In the Accessibility pane, select an issue under Warnings or Errors. The list will expand and show the items and objects affected by the issue.

   Tip

   Select the item or object to view the exact location of the affected item or object.

2. To address the issue, select the down arrow button next to it and open the Recommended Actions list.
   

3. To apply a fix, select an action from the Recommended Actions list. To view more options, select the right arrow button next to the action (if available).

4. Go through and resolve each issue under Warnings and Errors. 

Don't see the Accessibility Checker?

If you don't see Check Accessibility on the Review tab, you might have an older version of the app. Follow these steps to open the Accessibility Checker:

1. Select the File tab and choose Info.
2. Select Check for Issues.
   
3. In the Check for Issues drop-down menu, select Check Accessibility.
   
4. The Accessibility Checker task pane will appear next to your content and show the inspection results.
   
5. Select an issue under Inspection Results to see why and how to fix an issue. This info appears under Additional Information.
   

See also

Check accessibility while you work in Office apps

Everything you need to know to write effective alt text

Use a screen reader with the Accessibility Checker

Make your content accessible to everyone

Make your content accessible to everyone with the Accessibility Checker

Use the Accessibility Checker

To check your content for accessibility issues, do one of the following depending on the app you're using:

Microsoft 365 for the web apps except Outlook on the web

1. Select the Review tab and choose Check Accessibility. 
   
2. The Accessibility pane will open to the right of the screen. Choose an option to view  Errors, Warnings, Tips, or Intelligent services near the top of the pane.
    
   For more information on how the findings are categorized, see Rules for the Accessibility Checker.
3. In the chosen category, select the  to expand an accessibility issue to see all items and objects affected by the issue. 
4. Select an item or object in the list to highlight the corresponding element, and then fix the issue. Address all issues in the errors and warnings categories.
   
5. When you're done, select Recheck to make sure you didn't miss anything.

Outlook on the web

1. When writing or replying to a message, select Options on the toolbar and choose Check accessibility. The Accessibility Checker pane will open.
2. Select Fix this to address an issue. For example, if the Accessibility Checker reported missing alt text, select Fix this to open the Add alternative text dialog box where you can type the alt text.
   
3. Address all issues and when you're done, select Check again to ensure you didn't miss anything.
   

See also

Everything you need to know to write effective alt text

Use a screen reader with the Accessibility Checker

Make your content accessible to everyone

Make your content accessible to everyone with the Accessibility Checker

Make your content accessible in the Microsoft 365 apps