Inconsistencies between Workflow Analyzer scans

Two Workflow Analyzer reports of the same workflow can differ if the workflow varied, or if a scan was aborted or ended before post-processing finished.

Root cause and explanation

Differences in issue counts between two Workflow Analyzer reports of apparently the same workflow can happen due to the following reasons:

• Workflow variations: Scans using the browser extension capture real-time DOM states including dynamic and user-interacted content. Minor differences in the workflow between two scans can cause differences in issue count.
• Scans aborted due to new page state: When page states change, a scan can take some time to complete. This is marked by the prompt Processing changes, stay on page. Interacting with the page or going to another URL when this prompt is displayed can abort ongoing scans and impact the number of issues reported.
• Scans completed abruptly: After you click Save Report, it can take up to 25 seconds for the extension to complete post-processing of the scan.

The extension displays the following prompt while it processes page state changes:

Affected products

Only Workflow Analyzer shows changes to issue count between different scans of the same workflow.

Remediation

Retry the scan to check whether the issue persists.

If the issue persists, follow these steps to avoid changes to issue count:

• Workflow variations: When you retest, repeat the same workflow to compare with previous scans.
• Scans aborted due to new page state: Wait for the Scanner on Standby state to appear in the extension.
• Scans completed abruptly: Wait up to 25 seconds after you click Save Report.

The extension displays the following state when it is ready for the next scan:

Related topics

• Diagnose inconsistencies in issue counts
• Inconsistencies across accessibility products
• Configure scan settings on Workflow Analyzer