guide
RGAA on BigCommerce: complete compliance checklist
Implementing RGAA compliance on BigCommerce means addressing the platform's specific failure modes (cornerstone theme variants, third-party app injections) while applying Référentiel général d'amélioration de l'accessibilité success criteria across content, code, and editorial workflow.
RGAA in 60 seconds
France's Référentiel général d'amélioration de l'accessibilité (RGAA) is the French government's national web accessibility methodology, currently at version 4.1, that operationalises EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA with 106 control tests and is mandatory for public-sector and (since the EAA transposition) large-private-sector French websites.
BigCommerce accessibility — what you are starting with
BigCommerce mid-market focus pushes it toward enterprise-grade accessibility tooling but theme variance still drives most failures.
RGAA setup checklist for BigCommerce
1. Use Cornerstone: Most-accessible default.
2. Audit installed apps: Each app injects markup.
Common RGAA failures on BigCommerce
• Cornerstone theme variants
• Third-party app injections
• Inaccessible quickview overlays
Putting it together
Combine RGAA's Level AA requirements with BigCommerce's native tooling. Bake accessibility into your component library and editorial workflow; instrument axe-core in CI for regression.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Cited answers. Sourced. Updated as standards and case law change.
Is BigCommerce RGAA-compliant out of the box?
The platform supports accessibility; merchant configuration determines whether the final site conforms.
What is the easiest path to RGAA compliance on BigCommerce?
Start with the platform's most-accessible default theme (where applicable), audit each installed plugin/extension/module, train content authors on alt text and heading hierarchy, and instrument axe-core in your CI pipeline.
Is BigCommerce accessible?
The platform supports accessibility; merchant configuration determines whether the final site conforms.
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