Guide · Agent skill
How to use the ARIA Live Regions Checker agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The aria-live-regions skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI agent to review web page markup and components for one specific accessibility problem: dynamic content changes that screen reader users never hear about. It is aimed at front-end developers, designers and QA reviewers who want a check on status messages, errors and loading states. By the end of this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for a review in plain language, and where its limits are.
ARIA Live Regions Checkerthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the aria-live-regions skill ZIP from the page where you found this guide.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Describe the component. Paste the markup or point the agent to the component file and say what changes, such as an error or a cart update.
- 5Ask for exact findings. Request the flagged elements, roles, labels and focus behavior, with a suggested fix for each.
- 6Verify with assistive technology. Test each fix with a real screen reader and browser accessibility tools before you rely on it.
What the skill makes the agent do
When something changes on a page, such as a cart count, a form error or a loading message, a screen reader user may not hear about it unless the change sits inside an ARIA live region. The skill tells the agent to check whether these regions are used correctly. It looks at politeness levels (polite versus assertive), role='alert' or role='status', and whether the region exists in the page before the content changes.
The skill also asks the agent to check native semantics first, then keyboard behavior, focus flow, accessible names and screen-reader output where relevant. After finding problems, the agent suggests specific fixes and ways to verify them.
- Use aria-live='polite' for non-urgent updates such as a cart count or status messages.
- Use aria-live='assertive' only for critical alerts such as errors or session expiry.
- Use role='alert' or role='status' for semantic live regions.
- The live region must exist in the DOM before content changes.
Install the skill from the ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the ZIP for this skill from the page where you found it. Unzip it into one of two folders. For a personal setup, use ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, use the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: unzip into .claude/skills/ in your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill's description tells the agent when to use it: reviewing rendered HTML, interactive components or design-system patterns related to announcing dynamic content. Describe the component and what you want checked, and the agent should pick up the skill.
Give the agent the markup or point it at the component file. Mention the states that change, such as a submit error or a loading spinner, because those are where live regions usually matter.
- Check whether the error message in this login form will be announced to screen reader users.
- Review this cart component: is the item count updated in a live region?
- Audit our design system's toast and status patterns for aria-live problems before the accessibility review.
Read the results and verify them
The agent reads code. It cannot hear what a screen reader actually announces, so treat its findings as a list of things to test, not proof. The skill's own guidance says to note how to verify each fix with browser accessibility tooling or assistive technology.
Ask the agent to name the exact elements, roles, labels and focus behavior it flagged. Then test each fix in a real screen reader on the browser you target, and confirm that the announcement happens once and at the right politeness level.
- Ask for exact element references so you can find each issue in the code.
- Confirm each change with a screen reader, not only with the agent's reading of the markup.
- Re-run the check after changes to catch regions that were added late in the DOM.
Know what the skill does not cover
This skill covers one narrow topic: announcing dynamic content with ARIA live regions. It is not a full accessibility audit across all criteria. For a broader review, for example against WCAG expectations, use it as one check among others.
The skill's source says it needs nothing listed as a requirement. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, so it only reads the code you give it and writes its findings in the conversation.
- Good fit: status messages, form errors, loading states, toasts, cart counters.
- Poor fit: a complete accessibility audit or any substitute for testing with assistive technology.
What people use it for
- Checking that a login form error is announced when the user submits invalid details.
- Reviewing a shopping cart so the item count update reaches screen reader users.
- Auditing design-system toast and notification components before an accessibility review.
- Preparing a list of live-region fixes for a QA or developer handoff.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the aria-live-regions skill?
Download the ZIP from the page where you found it and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the aria-live-regions skill need anything installed?
The skill's source lists no requirements. It runs no scripts and uses no network, so it works from the skill files and the code you provide.
Is the aria-live-regions skill free?
The skill is released under the MIT licence, as listed on its page. The source material does not state any price, so check the listing for current terms.
What is the difference between aria-live polite and assertive?
Polite waits until the screen reader finishes its current speech, which suits cart counts and status messages. Assertive interrupts immediately, so the skill recommends it only for critical alerts such as errors or session expiry.
When should I use role='alert' versus role='status'?
The skill names both as semantic live regions. Use them to mark up messages in a way that matches their meaning, and let the agent check whether the chosen role and politeness level fit each message.
Can this skill replace a screen reader test?
No. The agent reads code and cannot hear what a screen reader announces, so you must verify each fix with assistive technology and browser accessibility tools.
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Our verdict
This skill suits front-end developers, designers and QA reviewers who want a focused check on status messages, errors and loading states, and on live-region politeness and placement. It is not suited to a full accessibility audit across all criteria, and it cannot replace testing with a real screen reader. If you need broad coverage, pair it with other checks and manual testing.
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