Last week, I wrote about 5 things automated tests miss that break real experiences. What about what automated tests can catch?
Here are five things they catch before real users find them:
1. Missing alt text.
Your site has 47 images. 12 have no alt text at all. You didn't notice because you can see the images just fine. Automated tests flag every single one. Screen reader users have to guess what's in those images.
2. Colour contrast failures.
That light grey text on white looks "modern" to you. It's actually 2.1:1 contrast. Automated tests measure it precisely. People with low vision can't read your content at that contrast level.
3. Missing form labels.
You have a search box with placeholder text that says "Search." No actual label. Screen readers have no idea what the field is for. Tests catch the missing association immediately.
4. Empty buttons and links.
You have a button with just an icon. No text, no aria-label, nothing. It looks obvious to you. Screen readers announce "button" with zero context about what it does. Tests catch every empty interactive element.
5. Language attributes that are missing.
Your entire page is in English but has no lang attribute. Screen readers default to the wrong pronunciation. "Resume" gets read as "re-zoom" instead of "rez-oo-may." Tests flag it instantly.
Automated tests don't catch everything. But they catch the low hanging fruit you'd ship without even knowing it was broken.