It has been a year since we launched the beta of axe Pro, and we have gotten tons of feedback from users all across the globe. We have taken that feedback, and channeled it into the 4.6 release of the axe Chrome extension, our largest ever!
Thousands of users have given the axe beta a try and it is consistently used in hundreds of organizations to streamline testing for accessibility defects. Intelligent Guided Tests have been the bedrock of axe beta, but we knew the experience could be improved…
New Single-tab Experience
The most common piece of feedback we got from users was the two-tab experience was inefficient and frustrating at times. Jumping from the extension to another website to kick off an intelligent guided test, just to jump back to the extension to run the test, and then back to the website to see your results…it was confounding, to say the least.
With this release, everything can now be done from within the Chrome extension. Viewing and exporting test results, initiating Intelligent Guided Tests, browsing existing test records, managing settings; it can now all be done directly in the extension. We have also taken steps to modernize the look and feel, focusing our efforts on how users parse information.
Screenshot of Intelligent Guided Tests and refreshed UI in axe Chrome extension.
Axe-core 4.0.2
In addition to a new unified experience, this is the first version of the extension that features axe-core 4.0. We will be building on top of this foundation in the near future to offer exciting new functionality that will provide users with unprecedented flexibility in how they test for accessibility. For details on everything in axe-core 4.0, please refer to our blog post.
The Future of axe Beta
We have been working tirelessly to improve the user experience based on your feedback, but we have also been laying the foundation of things to come. The reception of Intelligent Guided Testing has been absolutely phenomenal, but we acknowledge that it is just one tool. We have exciting plans for the future of axe beta and can’t wait to share them with you in the coming weeks and months.
“We are very pleased with the feedback we have received and are using this feedback and analytics of user behaviors to drive the innovation in the product” Preety Kumar, CEO said. “Stay tuned for more improvements soon.”
If you haven’t tried Intelligent Guided Tests and the other axe beta features, you can sign up for free!