liquid-theme-a11y
Implement WCAG 2.2 accessibility patterns in Shopify Liquid themes. Covers e-commerce-specific components including product cards, carousels, cart drawers, price display, forms, filters, and modals. Use when building accessible theme components, fixing accessibility issues, or reviewing ARIA patterns in .liquid files.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/benjaminsehl/liquid-skills --skill liquid-theme-a11y- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads liquid-theme-a11y automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Accessibility for Shopify Liquid Themes
Core Principle
Every interactive component must work with keyboard only, screen readers, and reduced-motion preferences. Start with semantic HTML — add ARIA only when native semantics are insufficient.
Decision Table: Which Pattern?
| Component | HTML Element | ARIA Pattern | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expandable content | <details>/<summary> | None needed | Accordion |
| Modal/dialog | <dialog> | aria-modal="true" | Modal |
| Tooltip/popup | [popover] attribute | role="tooltip" fallback | Tooltip |
| Dropdown menu | <nav> + <ul> | aria-expanded on triggers | Navigation |
| Tab interface | <div> | role="tablist/tab/tabpanel" | Tabs |
| Carousel/slider | <div> | role="region" + aria-roledescription | Carousel |
| Product card | <article> | aria-labelledby | Product card |
| Form | <form> | aria-invalid, aria-describedby | Forms |
| Cart drawer | <dialog> | Focus trap | Cart drawer |
| Price display | <span> | aria-label for context | Prices |
| Filters | <form> + <fieldset> | aria-expanded for disclosures | Filters |
Page Structure
Landmarks
<body>
<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">{{ 'accessibility.skip_to_content' | t }}</a>
<header role="banner">
<nav aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.main_navigation' | t }}">...</nav>
</header>
<main id="main-content">
<!-- All page content inside main -->
</main>
<footer role="contentinfo">
<nav aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.footer_navigation' | t }}">...</nav>
</footer>
</body>
- Single
<header>,<main>,<footer>per page - Multiple
<nav>elements must have distinctaria-label - All content must live inside a landmark
Skip Link
.skip-link {
position: absolute;
inset-inline-start: -999px;
z-index: 999;
}
.skip-link:focus {
position: fixed;
inset-block-start: 0;
inset-inline-start: 0;
padding: 1rem;
background: var(--color-background);
color: var(--color-foreground);
}
Headings
- One
<h1>per page, never skip levels (h1 → h3) - Use real heading elements, not styled divs
- Template:
<h1>is typically the page/product title
Focus Management
Focus Indicators
/* All interactive elements */
:focus-visible {
outline: 2px solid rgb(var(--color-focus));
outline-offset: 2px;
}
/* High contrast mode */
@media (forced-colors: active) {
:focus-visible {
outline: 3px solid LinkText;
}
}
- Minimum 3:1 contrast ratio for focus indicators
- Use
:focus-visible(not:focus) to avoid showing on click - Never
outline: nonewithout a visible replacement
Focus Trapping (Modals/Drawers)
- Trap focus inside modals, drawers, and dialogs
- Return focus to trigger element on close
- First focusable element gets focus on open
- Query all focusable elements:
a[href], button:not([disabled]), input:not([disabled]), select, textarea, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])
See focus and keyboard patterns for full FocusTrap implementation.
Component Patterns
Product Card
<article class="product-card" aria-labelledby="ProductTitle-{{ product.id }}">
<a href="{{ product.url }}" class="product-card__link" aria-labelledby="ProductTitle-{{ product.id }}">
<img
src="{{ product.featured_image | image_url: width: 400 }}"
alt="{{ product.featured_image.alt | escape }}"
loading="lazy"
width="{{ product.featured_image.width }}"
height="{{ product.featured_image.height }}"
>
</a>
<h3 id="ProductTitle-{{ product.id }}">
<a href="{{ product.url }}">{{ product.title }}</a>
</h3>
<div class="product-card__price" aria-label="{{ 'products.price_label' | t: price: product.price | money }}">
{{ product.price | money }}
</div>
<button
class="product-card__quick-add"
tabindex="-1"
aria-label="{{ 'products.quick_add' | t: title: product.title }}"
>
{{ 'products.add_to_cart' | t }}
</button>
</article>
Rules:
- Single tab stop per card (the main link)
tabindex="-1"on mouse-only shortcuts (quick add)aria-labelledbyon<article>pointing to the title- Descriptive alt text on images; empty
alt=""if decorative
Carousel
<div
role="region"
aria-roledescription="carousel"
aria-label="{{ section.settings.heading | escape }}"
>
<div class="carousel__controls">
<button
aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.previous_slide' | t }}"
aria-controls="CarouselSlides-{{ section.id }}"
>{% render 'icon-chevron-left' %}</button>
<button
aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.next_slide' | t }}"
aria-controls="CarouselSlides-{{ section.id }}"
>{% render 'icon-chevron-right' %}</button>
<button
aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.pause_slideshow' | t }}"
aria-pressed="false"
>{% render 'icon-pause' %}</button>
</div>
<div id="CarouselSlides-{{ section.id }}" aria-live="polite">
{% for slide in section.blocks %}
<div
role="group"
aria-roledescription="slide"
aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.slide_n_of_total' | t: n: forloop.index, total: forloop.length }}"
{% unless forloop.first %}aria-hidden="true"{% endunless %}
>
{{ slide.settings.content }}
</div>
{% endfor %}
</div>
</div>
Rules:
- Auto-rotation minimum 5 seconds, pause on hover/focus
- Play/pause button required for auto-rotating carousels
aria-live="polite"on slide container (set to"off"during auto-rotation)aria-hidden="true"on inactive slides- Each slide:
role="group"+aria-roledescription="slide"
Modal
<dialog
id="Modal-{{ section.id }}"
aria-labelledby="ModalTitle-{{ section.id }}"
aria-modal="true"
>
<div class="modal__header">
<h2 id="ModalTitle-{{ section.id }}">{{ title }}</h2>
<button
type="button"
aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.close' | t }}"
on:click="/closeModal"
>{% render 'icon-close' %}</button>
</div>
<div class="modal__content">
<!-- Content -->
</div>
</dialog>
Rules:
- Use native
<dialog>element aria-labelledbypointing to the title- Close on Escape key (native with
<dialog>) - Focus first interactive element on open
- Return focus to trigger on close
Cart Drawer
Same as modal pattern but with additional:
- Live region for cart count updates:
<span aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true"> - Clear "remove item" buttons with
aria-label="{{ 'cart.remove_item' | t: title: item.title }}" - Quantity inputs with associated labels
Forms
<form action="{{ routes.cart_url }}" method="post">
<div class="form__field">
<label for="Email-{{ section.id }}">{{ 'forms.email' | t }}</label>
<input
type="email"
id="Email-{{ section.id }}"
name="email"
required
aria-required="true"
autocomplete="email"
aria-describedby="EmailError-{{ section.id }}"
>
<p
id="EmailError-{{ section.id }}"
class="form__error"
role="alert"
hidden
>{{ 'forms.email_required' | t }}</p>
</div>
</form>
Rules:
- Every input has a visible
<label>with matchingfor/id - Use
<fieldset>/<legend>for radio/checkbox groups - Error messages:
role="alert"+aria-describedbylinking to input aria-invalid="true"on invalid inputsautocompleteattributes on common fields- Required fields:
required+aria-required="true"+ visual indicator
Product Filters
<form class="facets">
<div class="facets__group">
<button
type="button"
aria-expanded="false"
aria-controls="FilterColor-{{ section.id }}"
>{{ 'filters.color' | t }}</button>
<fieldset id="FilterColor-{{ section.id }}" hidden>
<legend class="visually-hidden">{{ 'filters.filter_by_color' | t }}</legend>
{% for color in colors %}
<label>
<input type="checkbox" name="filter.color" value="{{ color }}">
{{ color }}
</label>
{% endfor %}
</fieldset>
</div>
<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">
{{ 'filters.results_count' | t: count: results.size }}
</div>
</form>
Price Display
{% if product.compare_at_price > product.price %}
<div class="price" aria-label="{{ 'products.sale_price_label' | t: sale_price: product.price | money, original_price: product.compare_at_price | money }}">
<s aria-hidden="true">{{ product.compare_at_price | money }}</s>
<span>{{ product.price | money }}</span>
</div>
{% else %}
<div class="price">{{ product.price | money }}</div>
{% endif %}
- Use
aria-labelto provide full price context (sale vs. original) aria-hidden="true"on the visual strikethrough to avoid duplicate reading
Accordion
<details>
<summary>{{ block.settings.heading }}</summary>
<div class="accordion__content">
{{ block.settings.content }}
</div>
</details>
Native <details>/<summary> provides keyboard and screen reader support automatically.
Tabs
<div role="tablist" aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.product_tabs' | t }}">
{% for tab in tabs %}
<button
role="tab"
id="Tab-{{ tab.id }}"
aria-selected="{% if forloop.first %}true{% else %}false{% endif %}"
aria-controls="Panel-{{ tab.id }}"
tabindex="{% if forloop.first %}0{% else %}-1{% endif %}"
>{{ tab.title }}</button>
{% endfor %}
</div>
{% for tab in tabs %}
<div
role="tabpanel"
id="Panel-{{ tab.id }}"
aria-labelledby="Tab-{{ tab.id }}"
{% unless forloop.first %}hidden{% endunless %}
tabindex="0"
>{{ tab.content }}</div>
{% endfor %}
- Arrow keys navigate between tabs (left/right)
- Only active tab has
tabindex="0", others-1
Dropdown Navigation
<nav aria-label="{{ 'accessibility.main_navigation' | t }}">
<ul role="list">
{% for link in linklists.main-menu.links %}
<li>
{% if link.links.size > 0 %}
<button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="Submenu-{{ forloop.index }}">
{{ link.title }}
</button>
<ul id="Submenu-{{ forloop.index }}" hidden role="list">
{% for child in link.links %}
<li><a href="{{ child.url }}">{{ child.title }}</a></li>
{% endfor %}
</ul>
{% else %}
<a href="{{ link.url }}">{{ link.title }}</a>
{% endif %}
</li>
{% endfor %}
</ul>
</nav>
Tooltip
<button aria-describedby="Tooltip-{{ block.id }}">
{{ 'labels.info' | t }}
</button>
<div id="Tooltip-{{ block.id }}" role="tooltip" popover>
{{ block.settings.tooltip_text }}
</div>
Mobile Accessibility
- Touch targets: minimum 44x44px, 8px spacing between targets
- No orientation lock: never restrict to portrait/landscape
- No hover-only content: everything accessible via tap
- Use
dvhinstead ofvhfor mobile viewport units
Animation & Motion
/* Always provide reduced motion */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
*, *::before, *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
scroll-behavior: auto !important;
}
}
- No flashing above 3 times per second
- Auto-playing animations need pause/stop controls
- Meaningful animations only — don't animate for decoration
Visually Hidden Utility
.visually-hidden {
position: absolute;
width: 1px;
height: 1px;
padding: 0;
margin: -1px;
overflow: hidden;
clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0);
white-space: nowrap;
border: 0;
}
Use for screen-reader-only content like labels and descriptions.
Color Contrast
| Element | Minimum Ratio |
|---|---|
| Normal text (<18px / <14px bold) | 4.5:1 |
| Large text (≥18px / ≥14px bold) | 3:1 |
| UI components & graphics | 3:1 |
| Focus indicators | 3:1 |
Never rely solely on color to convey information — always pair with text, icons, or patterns.
References
- Component accessibility patterns
- Focus and keyboard patterns
FAQ
What does the liquid-theme-a11y skill do?
Implement WCAG 2.2 accessibility patterns in Shopify Liquid themes. Covers e-commerce-specific components including product cards, carousels, cart drawers, price display, forms, filters, and modals. Use when building accessible theme components, fixing accessibility issues, or reviewing ARIA patterns in .liquid files.
How do I install liquid-theme-a11y?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/benjaminsehl/liquid-skills --skill liquid-theme-a11y in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/liquid-theme-a11y/ (personal) or .claude/skills/liquid-theme-a11y/ (project).
Which AI agents can use liquid-theme-a11y?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is liquid-theme-a11y safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains liquid-theme-a11y?
It is published by benjaminsehl in benjaminsehl/liquid-skills. It has 2,817 recorded installs.
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