axe-rules

# Axe-Core Rules Reference Skill > **Canonical source**: `examples/AXE_RULES_REFERENCE.md` and `examples/AXE_RULES_COVERAGE.md` in `mgifford/ACCESSIBILITY.md` > This skill is derived from those files. When in doubt, the example is authoritative. > **Note:** the canonical files are organized around a specific test-fixture scanner > project (numbered test pages). This skill re-presents the same rule set and > severities as a general-purpose reference, independent of any particular fixture. Apply these rules when writing, reviewing, or debugging axe-core scans. --- ## Core Principle Axe-core catches ~30–40% of WCAG issues automatically. It is the baseline, not the ceiling. Always pair automated scanning with manual keyboard and screen reader testing. **An axe-core result is evidence, not a conformance decision.** Preserve the rule's raw outcome (`violations`, `incomplete`, `passes`, `inapplicable`) exactly as axe reports it — do not overwrite or discard it when converting to a project finding. Cite this file, `AXE_RULES_REFERENCE.md`, or the rule's own `dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/` page as the authority for a WCAG mapping; do not invent a mapping axe-core does not document for that rule. Record an unreviewed `violations` result as `evidence_status: automated-indicator` with `handling: review` — never as a confirmed standards failure — until a human confirms it. See [Accessibility Finding Tracking: Policy Classification](https://mgifford.github.io/ACCESSIBILITY.md/exampl...