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About axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin
axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin is a free Figma plugin published by Deque Systems in 2022. It works in Figma Design and has 23,228 users and 910 likes on the Figma Community. It ranks #14 in Accessibility on our lists.
In the developer's words
axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin
Are you exhausted from dealing with endless back and forth with developers, messy handouts, and accessibility issues in your designs? Introducing axe for Designers, a Figma accessibility plugin supported by AI/ML, developed by Deque, a market leader in digital accessibility.
With features like A11y Scan (previously auto scan), wcag Color Contrast Checker, Focus Order, Annotations, and more, you can quickly and easily identify any accessibility issues before your design goes into production. And if you're already in the middle of a project, our tool can help you analyze and fix accessibility issues that have cropped up.
Best of all, you can use our Figma accessibility plugin for free!!
Introducing axe for Designers' features
Ensure your designs meet WCAG compliance standards with a single click. Make design-to-dev handoffs more effective by seamlessly bridging the gap between design and development with the axe for Designers. Consider integrating this website accessibility plugin to ensure all users can access your content effortlessly.
Annotations: Communicate your design intent effectively to developers by adding explicit accessibility annotations. Refine your design intent effortlessly with the axe for Designers' Edit Annotation feature, ensuring precise communication and reducing rework. Tags for developers facilitate smoother handoffs.
• Extensive Annotation Stamps: Access a comprehensive set of annotation stamps, including automated developer tags, with short recommendations and detailed documentation for developers.
• AI/ML Driven Auto-annotations: Explore the auto-annotation feature, which automatically scans and annotates form controls like buttons, radio buttons, checkboxes, and labels.
Automated Accessibility Scan:
Receive real-time suggestions for design improvements for color contrast, text readability, and more, making your designs inclusive for all users.
Color Contrast Checker:
Looking for a WCAG color contrast checker? Easily assess contrast ratios and ensure your designs adhere to AA or AAA requirements. Explore accessible color palettes to enhance your design's inclusivity.
Touch Targets Size:
Confirm that touch targets in your designs are user-friendly and accessible to everyone.
Inappropriate or Missing Headings Hierarchies:
Run checks on your designs to ensure heading hierarchies are appropriately structured for accessibility.
Focus Order:
Optimize user navigation and enhance accessibility in your designs with the axe for Designers' Focus Order feature, ensuring a seamless experience for all.
Dashboard View:
Save and share reports seamlessly. Access your dashboard directly from the plugin or log in to dashboard to view reports, product documentation, and other accessible design resources.
Users Testimonials:
“This plugin is the best thing to happen to Figma. It's awesome! I've been using Axe for over 5 years now and it's so great to be able to get even a fraction of that suite inside of Figma. Keep up the great work!”
- Bryce Watson, Head of Design, Yoke
"Thank you so much for making this! I was used to baking in accessibility annotations as part of a design system, but this is a more powerful way to annotate for accessibility. The plugin explains more about each "type" of annotation, enabling designers to learn more as they work and facilitating more productive conversations between designers and engineers."
- Sarah Bonville, Senior Product Designer, Accessibility. Khan Academy
“My experience with the Axe for Designers plugin has been great. It helps designers quickly check and annotate designs, allowing for more accurate accessibility details earlier in the design and development processes.”
- Adam Wertel UI/UX Lead, Spreedly
What's new
Version 22 · released Dec 18, 2024
- Added credit details
Permissions and privacy
Network access
axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin can only connect to the 7 domains declared in its manifest: axed-backend.dequelabs.com, axed.dequelabs.com, wss://axed-backend.dequelabs.com, s3-alpha.figma.com, fonts.googleapis.com, fonts.gstatic.com and api-js.mixpanel.com.
- axed-backend.dequelabs.com
- axed.dequelabs.com
- wss://axed-backend.dequelabs.com
- s3-alpha.figma.com
- fonts.googleapis.com
- fonts.gstatic.com
- api-js.mixpanel.com
Extra permissions
- Reads your Figma name and avatar
Read from the plugin's published manifest.
Where axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin ranks
axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin alternatives
- 1

Stark
by Stark
577K users10KFreeFix Color Contrast and Typography issues and add WCAG annotations for a smooth design to dev handoff
- 2

Contrast
by Alex Carr
515K users8.3KFreeQuickly check and scan for contrast issues on gradients, images, blends, and fills.
- 3

A11y
by Kelly Gorr
315K users4.7KFreeText color accessibility
- 4

UI Color Palette /one・WCAG Color Palette Manager for Apps & Websites
by Aurélien Grimaud
92K users814Free + $8/mo upgradeColor Palettes that meet WCAG Guidelines and Operations (tailored for individuals)
- 5

Color contrast
by Aleksandra Walczak
82K users474FreeColor contrast checker
- 6

Contrast
by Roman Nurik
72K users341FreeQuickly run a visual contrast report on your design.
axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin FAQ
What does axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin do?
Your one-stop accessibility solution. It's a Figma plugin by Deque Systems that runs in Figma Design.
Is axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin free?
Yes. axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin is free to install and run from the Figma Community, with no paid tier listed.
Is axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin safe to use?
Figma plugins can only reach the internet through domains listed in their manifest. axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin can only connect to the 7 domains declared in its manifest: axed-backend.dequelabs.com, axed.dequelabs.com, wss://axed-backend.dequelabs.com, s3-alpha.figma.com, fonts.googleapis.com, fonts.gstatic.com and api-js.mixpanel.com. As with any plugin, check the developer's privacy policy before using it on client work.
How do I install axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin?
Open it on the Figma Community, or search for it in the Actions menu (Cmd/Ctrl + K) inside any file you can edit. See how to install Figma plugins.
What are the best alternatives to axe for Designers: A Free Accessibility Plugin?
By user count, the closest alternatives are Stark, Contrast by Alex Carr and A11y. Compare all of them on the best Figma plugins for accessibility.
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