What you need
WordPress 6.3 or later, PHP 7.4 or later and administrator rights to install plugins. In Accessonaut, first create a project with your actual website domain and open the installation page in the project.
Step by step
- In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New Plugin, search for “Accessonaut” and click “Install Now” on the Accessonaut plugin. It comes straight from the WordPress plugin directory, and you get updates automatically. Alternatively, download the ZIP file from the WordPress page and install it under Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
- Activate the plugin and open Settings → Accessonaut.
- Copy the HTTPS service address and the public project ID from the embed code of your Accessonaut project. Choose the central project design or style colours, font, shapes, texts and spacing locally. Load the preview explicitly when you need it.
- Read the notes on the external service and activate the connection. Save the settings and clear the WordPress and CDN caches.
The WordPress plugin
The plugin adds the code for you. You install it straight from the WordPress plugin directory, or alternatively as a ZIP. Activating it alone does not start a connection: you only switch the widget on explicitly after configuring it.
Match the design to your website
In your Accessonaut project, open “Reading-aid widget”. Five templates and a live preview help you with the design: colours, fonts, menu width, corners, shadows, an icon or labelled opener and your own texts. Position and edge spacing can be set separately for desktop and smartphone. After saving, your existing embed code picks up the project design automatically; the public configuration is cached for up to one minute.
In the WordPress plugin you can choose local settings instead. These take priority over the project design. Design options are available on all plans. On the Free plan, the Accessonaut notice stays visible. Your visitors’ personal reading settings take priority over design defaults.
Keep in mind
An additional embed in the theme or tag manager creates duplicate scripts. Use one installation method. The theme must output wp_footer(). The plugin does not change any theme or core files.
Common questions about WordPress
What happens with caching plugins like WP Rocket?
The plugin outputs the script with defer in the footer. The WP Rocket option “Delay JavaScript execution” only loads scripts after the first interaction. The button then appears late. If you want it visible straight away, add widget.js under “Excluded JavaScript Files”. Then clear the cache with “Clear and preload cache”.
Does the plugin work on a multisite network?
Yes. You can network activate it. The plugin stores its settings per site, though. Without its own configuration, the widget stays off on a site. So enter the service address and project ID on every site. If a site has its own domain, create a separate Accessonaut project for it.
How do I handle my cookie banner?
The widget sets no cookies. It stores reading settings in the browser’s local storage. On page load, the browser fetches the script and project configuration from the service. Whether you block the script until consent is your decision, based on your privacy assessment. Many consent plugins recognise scripts by address or ID: the plugin uses the ID accessonaut-widget-js. Keep in mind: if you block it, the reading aid is only available after consent.
Does it work with block themes and the Site Editor?
Yes. Block themes also call wp_footer() through the WordPress page template. That is where the plugin outputs the script. The widget does not load in the Site Editor or anywhere else in the admin area. So always check the result on the public website.
How do I remove the widget again?
Deactivate the plugin under Plugins. WordPress then stops outputting the script; your settings are kept. If you then delete the plugin, it also removes its settings, on a multisite network on every site of the network. Afterwards, clear page and CDN caches.
If something does not work
The widget is missing even though the connection is active.
Cause: A page cache is still serving the old page, or the theme does not output wp_footer().
Fix: Clear plugin, server and CDN caches. Then search the source of the public page for accessonaut-widget-js. If it is missing, check your theme’s footer template.
The widget shows the default design and the Accessonaut notice even though you saved a design.
Cause: The website runs on a different domain from the one in the project, for example a staging subdomain. There the widget does not load your project configuration.
Fix: Compare the domain in the project with the address in the browser. The www prefix does not matter, but a subdomain counts as a separate domain.
An older embed from the theme or tag manager still has an effect.
Cause: The widget starts only once per page, with the script that runs first. A second script still loads for nothing.
Fix: Remove the old code from theme files, snippet plugins and the tag manager. Use only the plugin.
Check the installation
- Open the public website in a private window. The widget appears exactly once.
- Reach the button with the keyboard. Open the panel, change the text size and close it again.
- Check the homepage, a subpage, a form and the mobile view. The widget must not cover any important controls.
- In the Network tab, check that widget.js and the project configuration load from your service address. If there are errors, check the domain, project ID and CSP.
- For Free projects, the visible Accessonaut notice remains part of the widget. Permissions come from your project.
Privacy and limits
When it loads, the visitor’s browser fetches the script and the project configuration from the Accessonaut service. This involves the IP address, browser request data and the website hostname. Display preferences are stored locally in the browser. Cover the integration in your privacy notice and check your specific configuration.
The reading aids do not guarantee conformance. Also check barriers in the source code and complete user journeys, both automatically and manually.