Due EffortWebsite accessibility & ADA compliance
Fix guides by platform

Squarespace site got an ADA letter? Fix these first.

Squarespace controls most of your site's code, so you fix accessibility through the editor's own settings. Here's where each common problem lives, including the product image setting most owners miss.

Got a lawsuit, not just a letter? Fixing your site matters, but it doesn't answer the lawsuit. Read the first 72 hours and talk to a lawyer about your deadline.

Start by finding out what's actually wrong

Don't guess from the complaint. Scan your homepage, a typical page, your contact page and, if you sell online, a product page and the cart.

Scan my site free

  1. Describe every image, including product images

    Missing image descriptions (alt text) are the most common problem in these complaints.

    Image blocks: edit the block and fill in the image's alt text (older templates use the Filename field).

    Product images: in the product editor, click Images, click ••• on an image, then Edit Metadata, add the alt text, click Apply and Save. If you leave it blank, Squarespace uses the product name, which rarely describes the photo. Squarespace's own SEO check doesn't flag missing product image text, so check these by hand (Squarespace Help Center).

  2. Put headings in order

    Screen reader users jump between headings to find their way. Use one Heading 1 per page, then Heading 2 and 3 in order. Don't pick a heading level just for its size; change the size in Site Styles instead.

  3. Check text contrast and buttons

    Light text on a photo or pale background fails contrast checks. Change colors in Site Styles, and add a solid or darker overlay behind text on banner images.

  4. Label your form fields

    Make sure every form field has a visible label, not just placeholder text, and that required fields say so in words.

  5. Try your site with only the keyboard

    Unplug your mouse. Use Tab to move, Enter to choose, and Escape to close things. Pop-ups, announcement bars and code you've injected for third-party widgets are the usual traps. Squarespace runs the checkout itself; test it anyway and report problems to Squarespace support.

What you can't fix on Squarespace

Some problems live in Squarespace's own templates. If the scan flags something you can't change in the editor, report it to Squarespace support, keep their reply, and note it in your records. Your lawyer will want to know which problems were in your control. Squarespace's accessibility guide lists the built-in features.

Don't add an overlay widget as the fix

Accessibility toolbar widgets don't change the code that causes these problems, and sites running them still get sued. The FTC fined the biggest overlay company, accessiBe, $1 million over its claims (FTC).

Keep dated proof

Save a dated record of what was wrong and what you fixed. Courts have dismissed cases when a business showed its site was already fixed and the plaintiff couldn't rebut it (Seyfarth Shaw).

If a letter has already arrived, the Letter Response Kit scans up to 25 pages, explains each problem with Squarespace steps, and seals the results into a dated evidence pack for your lawyer.

Automated scans find only some accessibility problems, so a clean scan doesn't mean a site is compliant. Due Effort is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Squarespace menu names differ between versions 7.0 and 7.1; check Squarespace's help center if a step doesn't match. Other platforms