Public documentation
Glossary
Plain-language definitions for extension, scanner, WCAG, export, privacy, and review terms used throughout the guide.
Core terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| activeTab | A Chrome extension permission that grants temporary access to the current tab after a user action such as clicking the toolbar icon. |
| Manifest V3 | The Chrome extension platform model used by A11Y Cat, including a service worker background script and explicit permissions. |
| Service worker | The extension background script that handles toolbar actions, injection, messages, and diagnostics coordination. |
| Content script | A packaged extension script injected into the active page to run the A11Y Cat runtime and panel. |
| Rendered DOM | The current document structure visible to scripts after the page has loaded and changed state. It is not every possible route or hidden state. |
| axe-core | The bundled automated accessibility rules engine used for WCAG-tagged checks in the current page state. |
| Confirmed issue | A finding with enough automated evidence to treat as a likely implementation issue in the tested state. |
| Needs review | An item requiring human judgement before deciding whether it is a defect. |
| Advisory | Guidance or quality signal that should not be treated as an automatic failure. |
| Diagnostic | Operational or runtime signal used for troubleshooting and coverage explanation. |
| Limitation | A declared boundary where the tool could not fully inspect or prove a state. |
| Visual review | A review category for screenshot or paint-composition evidence that cannot be confirmed deterministically. |
| Export | A user-triggered file or copied payload created from local scan evidence. |
| Local-first | The documented extension package processes scan evidence in the browser and uses user-triggered exports rather than a developer scan server. |
| No telemetry | The documented extension package does not declare analytics or telemetry endpoints for scan processing. |