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Accessibility tree

The structure a browser builds from a page that screen readers and AI agents read to understand it.

The accessibility tree is a simplified version of a page that the browser builds from the HTML. For each element it records a role (link, button, heading, text field), a name (the label or alt text), and a state (checked, expanded, disabled). Screen readers and other assistive technology read this tree, not the pixels on screen.

AI browsing agents use it as well. Google’s Lighthouse documentation says agents review the accessibility tree to identify interactive elements, and that missing labels can block both people with visual disabilities and agents. Semantic HTML builds a good tree for free; ARIA adjusts it when a custom control needs it.

Source

Accessibility for agents

Chrome for Developers, Google, 2026. Checked .

Screen reader
Software that reads what is on the screen aloud or sends it to a braille display.
AI agent
An AI assistant that browses websites and completes tasks on a person’s behalf, reading pages through the accessibility tree.
Semantic HTML
Using the HTML element that means what the content is, such as a button for a button, so browsers and assistive technology understand it.
ARIA
A set of HTML attributes that tell assistive technology what a custom control is, what it is called, and what state it is in.
Accessible name
The name a control is announced by, taken from its label, its text, or its alt text.

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