/kb-help-url-reference

name: kb-help-url-reference
description: "Reference data, not a reviewer. Map accessibility findings to help resources: axe-core to Accessibility Insights, document rules to Microsoft Office/Adobe, WCAG criteria to W3C Understanding documents."
license: MIT
disable-model-invocation: true
user-invocable: false
metadata:
  tier: reference
  domain: cross-cutting
  output: none
  effort: low
  title: Help Url Reference

Help URL Reference

Centralized mapping of accessibility rule IDs and WCAG criteria to external help documentation. Used by CSV reporters, audit report generators, and any agent that links findings to remediation guidance.

Accessibility Insights (Web Accessibility)

axe-core Rule URL Pattern

Base URL: https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/
Pattern:  {base_url}{rule-id}
Example:  https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/image-alt/

For an axe-core rule, construct the URL by appending the rule ID to the base URL. If Accessibility Insights has no page for a rule, use the `helpUrl` axe itself returns, which has the form `https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/<major.minor>/<rule-id>` (for axe-core 4.14, `https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.14/image-alt`).

The WCAG column follows the tags in axe-core 4.14.0. Rules axe tags `best-practice` are not WCAG failures on their own; report them with `wcag` set to `n/a` unless a person confirms a criterion failure.

Common axe-core Rules

Each rule ID, with its issue, WCAG and help URL.

| Rule ID | Issue | WCAG | Help URL | |---------|-------|------|---------------| | `image-alt` | Image missing alternative text | 1.1.1 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/image-alt/` | | `button-name` | Button has no accessible name | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/button-name/` | | `color-contrast` | Text has insufficient contrast | 1.4.3 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/color-contrast/` | | `label` | Form element has no label | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/label/` | | `link-name` | Link has no discernible text | 2.4.4, 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/link-name/` | | `html-has-lang` | Page missing lang attribute | 3.1.1 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/html-has-lang/` | | `document-title` | Page missing title | 2.4.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/document-title/` | | `heading-order` | Heading levels skipped | best practice (relates to 1.3.1) | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/info-and-relationships.html` | | `aria-roles` | Invalid ARIA role | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/aria-roles/` | | `aria-required-attr` | Missing required ARIA attribute | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/aria-required-attr/` | | `aria-valid-attr` | Invalid ARIA attribute | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/aria-valid-attr/` | | `bypass` | No skip navigation link | 2.4.1 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/bypass/` | | `region` | Content not in landmark | best practice (relates to 1.3.1) | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/info-and-relationships.html` | | `tabindex` | Positive tabindex used | best practice (relates to 2.4.3) | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-order.html` | | `duplicate-id-aria` | ID referenced by ARIA or a label is not unique | 4.1.2 | `https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.14/duplicate-id-aria` | | `focus-order-semantics` | Focus order issue | best practice, experimental (relates to 2.4.3) | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-order.html` | | `input-image-alt` | Input image missing alt | 1.1.1, 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/input-image-alt/` | | `meta-viewport` | Viewport disables zoom | 1.4.4 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/meta-viewport/` | | `select-name` | Select element has no label | 4.1.2 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/select-name/` | | `autocomplete-valid` | Invalid autocomplete value | 1.3.5 | `https://accessibilityinsights.io/info-examples/web/autocomplete-valid/` | | `target-size` | Touch target too small | 2.5.8 | `https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.14/target-size` |

`duplicate-id` and `duplicate-id-active` are deprecated in axe-core and tagged for the obsolete 4.1.1 Parsing. Do not report them as WCAG 2.2 failures; `duplicate-id-aria` covers the duplicate IDs that still break names and relationships. `target-size` is off by default; it runs when selected by tag (such as `wcag22aa`) or enabled explicitly.

W3C/WAI Topic Pages (Non-axe Issues)

For agent-detected issues without axe-core rule IDs, use these W3C/WAI pages:

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Focus management | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-order.html` | | Live regions | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/status-messages.html` | | Modal dialogs | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/dialog-modal/` | | Data tables | `https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables/` |

Microsoft Office (Document Accessibility)

Word (DOCX) Rules

> Rule IDs match the canonical definitions in the `word-accessibility` format agent.

| Rule ID | Issue | Help URL | |---------|-------|----------| | `DOCX-E001` | Missing alt text on images | `https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/office-accessibility/add-alternative-text-to-a-shape-picture-chart-smartart-graphic-or-other-object` | | `DOCX-E002` | Missing table header row | `https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/word/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities#bkmk_tableheaders_win` | | `DOCX-E003` | Skipped heading levels | `https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/word/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities#bkmk_builtinheadings_win` | | `DOCX-E004` | Missing document title | `https:/