Shopify accessibility statement: what to include
A Shopify store isn't just a theme — it's a theme plus a checkout you don't fully control, plus a handful of third-party apps for reviews, chat, upsells, and search. Your accessibility statement needs to account for all three. Below is the structure, the Shopify-specific gap most merchants miss, and a worked example. No signup required.
Want a statement built for you instead of from scratch? Try the free accessibility statement generator — it produces a draft you can adapt to your store in a couple of minutes.
Why Shopify stores need a statement that names their apps
A generic accessibility statement — one written for a custom-built site with a single engineering team behind it — misses the thing that makes Shopify different: most of what a shopper interacts with wasn't built by you. Your theme is often a customized third-party template. Your checkout is Shopify's own hosted flow, largely outside your control. And a typical store layers in several third-party apps for product reviews, live chat, upsell popups, and on-site search, each with its own accessibility posture.
Every one of those pieces can affect whether a screen reader user, a keyboard-only user, or someone using voice control can actually complete a purchase — which is exactly the kind of "public accommodation" transaction that draws attention under Title III of the ADA in the US. A statement that only describes your own storefront code, and stays silent on the theme, checkout, and installed apps, is incomplete.
The statement structure, free
A complete accessibility statement covers six parts. For a Shopify store, three of them need Shopify-specific language:
- Commitment statement — who you are, what standard you target (WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the current, defensible default — see below).
- Ongoing effort framing — accessibility as a continuous program, not a one-time claim, with a stated review cadence (quarterly is recommended for a store where the theme and app list keep changing).
- Feedback and accommodation channel — a monitored email, ideally also a phone line, plus what happens if a shopper needs an alternative way to complete a purchase.
- Third-party content — the Shopify-specific section. This is where you name what you don't fully control: your theme, Shopify's hosted checkout, and any installed apps (reviews, chat, upsells, search, subscriptions). State plainly that you select vendors with accessibility in mind where practical, and that you'll work with your feedback channel to flag issues.
- Technical specifications — the technologies your storefront relies on (HTML, WAI-ARIA, CSS, JavaScript) and that accessibility can be affected by a shopper's own browser or assistive technology.
- Scope — which domain(s) the statement covers, and what's explicitly excluded (a separate blog subdomain, a wholesale portal, etc.).
Worked example: the third-party content section
"Our store may include or link to content, tools, or checkout flows operated by third parties — including our storefront theme, Shopify's checkout, and installed apps for reviews, chat, and product recommendations. We do not control the accessibility of third-party code and cannot guarantee its conformance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA. We select vendors with accessibility in mind where practical, and will work with vendors to address issues raised through our feedback channel."
That paragraph does real work: it's honest about what's outside your direct control, without using that as an excuse to avoid the topic — which is exactly the posture courts and the DOJ favor over a blanket, unqualified "fully compliant" claim.
Which standard to commit to
ADA Title III doesn't have one codified technical standard for websites the way the EU's European Accessibility Act has EN 301 549 — the DOJ has stated Title III applies to websites of "public accommodations" (which covers most e-commerce) but hasn't finalized website-specific regulations. In practice, U.S. courts and DOJ settlement agreements most commonly reference WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 Level AA as the de facto benchmark. Committing to WCAG 2.2 Level AA — the current version — meets and exceeds that common practice.
What the full Core Kit statement template adds
The structure above is real and usable — but a statement that's about to go live on your storefront should come from a complete, legal-reviewed template, not assembled section by section. The AccessibleDocs Core Kit includes the full US/ADA accessibility statement template with:
- Every field pre-written, with a fill-in guide for each placeholder
- The complete "why WCAG 2.2 AA" reasoning, ready to stand behind if a shopper or a plaintiff's attorney asks
- The WCAG 2.2 self-audit checklist, so your "substantial conformance" claim is backed by an actual audit trail
- A companion remediation plan template for tracking the gaps you find
Ship a statement that's actually defensible
Core Kit ($99) includes the accessibility statement template, the WCAG 2.2 self-audit checklist, a remediation plan template, and an internal accessibility policy.
Get Core — $99 Compare Core vs ProFAQ
Does Shopify provide accessibility for me?
Shopify's hosted checkout and core platform get some baseline attention from Shopify itself, but your theme customizations, product content, and any installed apps are your responsibility — and your statement should reflect that division clearly rather than implying Shopify covers everything.
Do I need a separate statement for my theme versus my apps?
No — one statement covering your whole storefront domain is standard. The "third-party content" section is where you address theme, checkout, and app-level limitations together.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page and the linked templates are professional documentation resources, not legal advice, and using them does not create an attorney-client relationship. Have qualified counsel review your statement before it goes live, especially if you've received any prior accessibility complaint.