Developer finds 8 incorrect WCAG criteria in own accessibility scanner after audit

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A developer building a WordPress accessibility scanner discovered that eight of its 25 automated checks referenced incorrect, outdated, or unrelated WCAG criteria, after a reviewer initially flagged three errors. Among the issues, the scanner cited WCAG 4.1.1, a criterion that was fully removed in WCAG 2.2, and misclassified several best practices as binding success criteria. Following the audit, the developer corrected all eight rules, distinguishing genuine WCAG 2.2 success criteria from best practices in both the codebase and product documentation. The scanner's marketing copy was also updated to accurately reflect 18 WCAG-mapped checks and 7 best-practice checks, rather than the previous blanket claim of 25 WCAG controls. The developer published the findings as a self-disclosed account, noting that overstating automated test results can mislead accessibility declarations and reports.

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