Issue Detection Agent

Learn how the Issue Detection Agent uses AI to automatically find accessibility issues in your app and provide suggestions for fixes.

The Issue Detection Agent combines BrowserStack’s rule engine with AI to identify accessibility issues in your app. By enhancing both the depth of coverage (more checks performed within each criterion) and the breadth of coverage (more WCAG success criteria tested), the agent increases both the scope and precision of accessibility testing, delivering a detailed, accurate assessment of your app’s accessibility.

AI-powered rules

BrowserStack’s Issue Detection Agent enhances the capabilities of the following rules:

• ImageView element accessibility label: Detects and evaluates accessibility labels for ImageView elements, suggesting meaningful alternatives where needed.
• Interactive element accessibility label: Assesses whether labels for interactive elements are contextually accurate, suggesting improvements as necessary.

How the Issue Detection Agent helps

The Issue Detection Agent helps you by:

• Enhancing standard rule-based accessibility checks with AI, improving both accuracy and coverage. The agent enhances:
  • Depth of coverage: Performing more checks within each success criterion. For example, for WCAG 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value), the agent not only checks for the presence of labels but also evaluates the labels’ contextual accuracy.
  • Breadth of coverage: Expanding the range of WCAG success criteria tested. For example, the agent not only checks whether an image has alternative text (WCAG 1.1.1) but also evaluates if the alternative text is meaningful and contextually appropriate.
• Detecting issues that rule-based checks may miss, such as contextual inaccuracies in accessibility labels or the meaningfulness of alternative text for images.
• Providing actionable and contextual fix suggestions, reducing the manual effort needed to identify and resolve issues. For example, if an image lacks alternative text, the agent suggests adding a meaningful description based on the image’s context within the app.

How the Issue Detection Agent works

The Issue Detection Agent analyzes your app’s UI components and their properties to identify potential accessibility issues. It leverages AI to understand the context and semantics of each element, allowing it to provide more accurate and relevant suggestions for improvement.

Example

Consider the following example of a Meaningful accessibility label for images violation:

In this case, the Issue Detection Agent identifies that the image lacks a meaningful alternative text description. The agent suggests adding a description that conveys the image’s content and purpose within the app. This ensures that screen reader users can understand the image’s role and interact with it appropriately within the application flow.

Limitations and considerations

• AI-generated suggestions might not always match your app’s design or context. You should review and validate these suggestions, especially for custom components or unique user interactions, before implementing the changes.

References

• For WCAG standards covered by BrowserStack’s rule engine, see Rules supported by BrowserStack App Accessibility.
• To learn how AI-powered issue remediation works, see Issue remediation agent.