Online shop accessibility and Czech Act No. 424/2023 Coll.: a practical guide
· 6 min read
Since 28 June 2025, accessibility has been a legal obligation in Czechia for online shops that sell to consumers and are not micro-enterprises. The obligation comes from Act No. 424/2023 Coll. In practice it means three tasks: fix the main barriers on the website (especially in the cart and checkout), add accessibility information to your terms and conditions, and make sure errors do not come back. In this article we go through them step by step.
Step 1: Does the Act apply to your online shop?
Before you fix anything because of the law, answer three questions:
- Do you sell to consumers? An online shop where anyone can buy is the typical example. A purely B2B wholesale business usually is not.
- Is it e-commerce or another service covered by the Act? An online shop with online ordering, yes. A brochure website without orders, no.
- Are you not a micro-enterprise? A micro-enterprise has fewer than 10 employees and a turnover or balance sheet total of no more than €2 million.
The third point is often forgotten. A small online shop with a high turnover but a low balance sheet total can be a micro-enterprise and therefore exempt. We explain this in detail, including a table with examples, in the article who the Act applies to.
If your answer was "no", the Act does not apply to you. It still makes sense to carry on: an accessible online shop is more comfortable for older customers, for shopping on a phone and for people with a temporary limitation, such as a broken arm.
Step 2: Find out where you stand
Start with an automated check of the pages customers use to buy:
- the home page,
- categories and product listings,
- the product page,
- the cart,
- every step of the checkout,
- registration and login,
- the contact form.
An automated check quickly finds errors such as missing field labels, low contrast or buttons without a name. But it finds only some of the problems. So add a short manual test: try to complete a whole purchase using only the keyboard (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Esc) and watch whether you can always see where you are.
Step 3: First fix what stops people from buying
The goal is not to fix everything at once. The goal is that a customer with a disability can find a product, add it to the cart and pay. An order that works well:
- Checkout. Fields with labels, error messages that a screen reader can read, an order button that works with the keyboard.
- Cart. Changing the quantity and removing an item must work with the keyboard and have clear names.
- Product page. Alternative text for photos, choosing size and colour, the "Add to cart" button.
- Navigation and search. Visible focus, mobile menu, skip link.
- Cookie banner and pop-ups. They must not trap focus or cover content.
You will find a detailed list in the WCAG 2.2 checklist and the most frequent errors in the article most common accessibility errors.
Shoptet, Shopify, WooCommerce
On ready-made platforms, some errors come from the theme and some from your content. The theme is usually fixed by its author or your agency. The content (alternative text, headings in product descriptions, links) is in your hands. It pays to ask your theme supplier how they handle accessibility, and to check the changes again after every update.
Step 4: Add accessibility information
Under Section 14(1) of the Act, you must state in your terms and conditions or a similar document how the service meets the accessibility requirements. Typically:
- a short description of your online shop and its channels (website, app, email, phone),
- how the shop meets the requirements and which accessibility features it offers,
- an alternative contact for customers who run into a barrier,
- known limitations and the plan to fix them,
- a reference to the supervisory authority, which for online shops is the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI).
Do not copy a template from the internet; the text must describe your shop. More in the article accessibility statement for an online shop and in the guide to accessibility information. Have the finished text reviewed by a lawyer.
Step 5: Keep watch continuously
Accessibility is not a one-off project. A new theme, a review plugin, a chat window or a Christmas campaign can bring new errors. So:
- check the key pages regularly, ideally every week,
- run a quick keyboard test after every larger change to the website,
- update the accessibility information when you fix known limitations,
- keep the check reports as evidence that you are working on accessibility.
Who does what: owner, agency, developer
Online shop accessibility is not only a job for the programmer. A clear split of roles works well:
| Who | Task |
|---|---|
| Online shop owner | decides on priorities, prepares the service description for the accessibility information, arranges legal review |
| Agency or developer | fixes the theme and add-ons, hands over check reports, keeps watch after updates |
| People who add products | add alternative text, write clear descriptions, use headings |
| Customer support | knows how to help a customer who runs into a barrier and passes the report on |
If you do not have your own developer, ask the agency that manages your website how they handle accessibility. Many agencies now offer a regular check as part of website maintenance.
How much time it takes
The answer depends on the state of the theme. If the errors come mainly from the theme, a few targeted changes that apply across the whole website are often enough. If the problem is in the content (thousands of products without alternative text), it is gradual work. So start with your best-selling products and new items.
What happens if you do nothing
For online shops, supervision is carried out by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI). In the second quarter of 2026 it carried out 47 accessibility inspections of online shops and found breaches of the law in 10 of them. The Act allows fines of up to CZK 10,000,000 for some offences. As of October 2026 we have not found confirmed accessibility fines against online shops in verified sources, but inspections are taking place and customers can complain. You will find details in the article about ČOI inspections and in the guide to Act 424/2023 Coll..
How we can help
Our service checks your online shop against WCAG 2.2 AA, prepares a report in Czech or another language with priorities and fixing steps for Shoptet, Shopify, WooCommerce and PrestaShop, repeats it every week and, from a short questionnaire, prepares a draft of the accessibility information for your lawyer. It is an automated check, not a full audit, and it is not legal advice.
Start with a free check of one page, ideally the cart or checkout.