European Accessibility Act for Shopify stores: a plain-English overview

By AbleAisle. Updated .

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU law that sets accessibility requirements for some products and services, including online shops that sell to consumers in the EU. It has applied since 28 June 2025. This is a plain-English overview of what it is, who it may apply to and what Shopify merchants commonly do in response.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether and how the EAA applies to your business depends on your circumstances and on the national law of each EU country you sell into. Check with a qualified professional before making decisions based on it.

What the EAA is

The EAA is Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services. As a directive, each EU country had to put it into its own national law, and each country enforces it through its own authorities. EU countries had to apply the rules from 28 June 2025 (EUR-Lex summary).

The services it covers include e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books, telephony and parts of passenger transport. The directive defines e-commerce services as services provided at a distance, through websites and mobile apps, by electronic means and at the individual request of a consumer, with a view to concluding a consumer contract. In plain terms: online shops selling to consumers.

Who it may apply to

  • Businesses selling online to consumers in the EU. Selling to consumers (B2C) through a website or app is the main trigger. Selling only to other businesses is treated differently.
  • Businesses outside the EU. The EAA is generally understood to cover services offered to consumers in the EU, wherever the business is based, but how each country applies this varies.
  • Not microenterprises providing services. The directive exempts microenterprises providing services from the service accessibility requirements. A microenterprise is defined as a business that employs fewer than 10 people and has an annual turnover, or an annual balance sheet total, not exceeding €2 million (Article 3(23) and Article 4(5) of the directive). Ireland's regulator explains this in its guidelines for microenterprises. The exemption covers services, not products the business makes or imports that are themselves covered by the EAA.

Many small Shopify stores may fall under the microenterprise exemption. If you're close to the thresholds or growing, it's worth getting advice.

What it asks of online shops, in broad terms

The directive sets out functional requirements rather than a specific checklist. For services, these include making websites and mobile apps perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, providing information about how the service meets the accessibility requirements, and making support services accessible. Service providers also have to explain how their service meets the requirements, usually in their terms and conditions or an equivalent document, and keep that information up to date as the service changes.

The directive doesn't name WCAG directly, but in practice the European standard EN 301 549, whose web requirements are based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA, is widely used as the technical reference point. That's why most EAA guidance for online shops talks about WCAG.

Who enforces it

Each EU country designates its own authorities and sets its own penalties. In Ireland, the EAA was put into law by S.I. No. 636 of 2023, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the authority for e-commerce services. The CCPC describes its role and responsibilities on its website, and says it will take a proportionate approach, particularly with microenterprises and SMEs. Other countries have their own authorities, and their approaches differ.

Where Shopify fits in

Shopify runs parts of your store, such as checkout, and its themes and admin are where you control most of the rest. Your theme, your content (product descriptions, images, videos, banners), and the apps you install all affect how accessible your store is, and they're under your control.

What Shopify merchants commonly do

These are practical steps. They help, but on their own they don't settle whether you meet any law:

  1. Work out whether the EAA is likely to apply to you, including whether you're a microenterprise, and get professional advice if you're unsure.
  2. Check the store against WCAG 2.1 AA. Start with our Shopify accessibility checklist, and run a free Quick check of your home page to find common automated issues.
  3. Fix the common issues first: image alt text, colour contrast, form labels, keyboard access and pop-ups.
  4. Choose accessible apps and themes, and test what each app adds to your storefront.
  5. Publish an honest accessibility statement that says what you've done, what's still in progress, and how customers can get help. See our guide to writing one.
  6. Keep checking. New products, theme updates and apps can introduce new issues, so schedule regular re-checks.

A note on overlays and promises

Some tools promise that adding a widget will make a store meet the law. Overlays don't fix the underlying code of your store, and no automated tool can confirm that a store meets every requirement, because some checks need a person, for example whether alt text is accurate. Be wary of any product, including ours, that makes that promise.

Where to read more

Again, this is general information, not legal advice. Laws and guidance can change, and requirements differ between countries. For advice on your own business, check with a qualified professional.

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