Description
Block Audit is a content QA tool for the block editor. It scans the blocks in the post you are editing, including nested blocks, and lists likely problems in a Block Audit sidebar.
Click Go to block on any issue to select the block, scroll it into view and highlight it.
The plugin works with core WordPress blocks. It does not need a page builder, an external service or an account.
What it checks
Accessibility
- Images with missing, empty or placeholder-like ALT text (for example, a file name)
- Linked images without a text alternative
- Empty headings
- Skipped heading levels (reported as a warning, since some jumps are intentional)
- Links and buttons without readable text
- Links that open in a new tab without saying so
- Videos without a captions track
Performance risks
- Large image files (thresholds are configurable)
- Images with very large dimensions
- Pages with many images
- External embeds and iframes (YouTube, Vimeo, maps, social embeds and more)
Structure
- Empty Group, Columns, Column, Buttons, List, Gallery and Quote blocks
- Image, video, audio and embed blocks without media
- Very deeply nested blocks
- Missing or invalid blocks, plus a notice for custom blocks it can’t check in detail
Content
- Very long paragraphs
- Empty paragraphs and list items
- Duplicate headings
Scores
Each category gets a score from 0 to 100, and the overall score is the average of those. The rules behind the numbers are listed in the sidebar under About this score.
This is a plugin-generated content health score. It is not a Lighthouse, PageSpeed, Core Web Vitals, SEO or WCAG compliance score. Automated checks only catch some problems, so you still need to review your content yourself.
Safe fixes only
- Remove empty blocks with one click.
- Type ALT text for an image straight from the issue. The plugin never generates ALT text for you.
- Heading problems come with guidance. Heading levels are never changed automatically.
- Ignore an issue you have reviewed. Ignored issues don’t count toward the score, and you can restore them at any time.
For developers
Register your own checks in JavaScript with the blockAudit.checks filter, or in PHP with the block_audit_checks filter. See docs/DEVELOPER.md in the plugin folder.
The editor script in build/ is compiled from the unminified source in src/. To rebuild it, run npm install and then npm run build.
Privacy
This plugin does not:
- send your content or any other data to external services
- make remote requests
- use tracking, analytics or cookies
All analysis happens in your browser and on your own server. The plugin stores only its settings (the block_audit_settings option), the list of ignored issues per post (post meta), and short-lived cached scan reports (transients). Deleting the plugin removes all of them.
Screenshots
Installation
- Upload the
block-auditfolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install the plugin from the Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin.
- Open any post or page in the block editor. Then click the Block Audit icon in the top toolbar, or choose Block Audit from the Options (⋮) menu.
- Optional: adjust thresholds under Settings Block Audit.
FAQ
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Does this plugin guarantee WCAG compliance?
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No. It flags common, detectable problems. Many accessibility requirements can only be checked by a person, for example whether ALT text is accurate or whether content makes sense to someone using a screen reader.
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Will this improve my Google rankings or PageSpeed score?
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The plugin doesn’t measure or promise search rankings, PageSpeed, Lighthouse or Core Web Vitals results. Its performance checks point out content that is often worth reviewing, such as large images and third-party embeds.
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Why is an image with empty ALT text only a warning?
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Decorative images should have empty ALT text. The plugin can’t tell whether an image is decorative, so it asks you to check. If the image is decorative, click Ignore.
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Does it slow down my site?
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No. Nothing loads on the front end of your site. In the editor, the scan runs in your browser, is debounced while you type, and fetches image file sizes in a single batched request.
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Does it work with custom or third-party blocks?
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Custom blocks are listed with a notice that detailed checks aren’t available for them, and they never break the scan. Developers can add checks for their own blocks.
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Where are ignored issues stored?
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In post meta (
_block_audit_ignored) on the post being edited. Post content is never changed to store scanner state.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Block Audit” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Block Audit” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First release: accessibility, performance, structure and content checks, category and overall scores, jump to block, safe fixes, ignore rules, settings and developer filters.