Axe
Audit and fix WCAG AA accessibility issues including keyboard navigation, ARIA patterns, focus management, and screen reader compatibility. Use when reviewing or remediating a UI for accessibility compliance. Trigger with "run an accessibility audit", "fix WCAG failures".
- Type
- Subagent
- Repository
- jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace
- GitHub stars
- 2.8k
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Sep 27, 2026
- Source file
- plugins/ai-agency/tonone/agents/axe.md
- Model
- sonnet
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Author
- Jeremy Longshore <[email protected]>
What Axe is
Axe is a subagent published in the jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace repository on GitHub, which has about 2.8k stars. The repository describes itself as: “Model-agnostic agent-skills platform with a harness-free canonical layer, verified adapters, and the ccpi package manager. Explore at tonsofskills.com.”
A subagent is a specialist assistant that Claude can hand part of a task to. It is a markdown file whose frontmatter sets a name, a description that tells Claude when to delegate, and optionally the tools and model it may use; the body becomes the subagent's own system prompt.
Because a subagent works in its own context, it keeps the main conversation focused: Claude can send a narrow job, such as a review or a specialised analysis, to Axe and get back a compact result.
How to install Axe
Claude Code
- Download axe.md from the repository.
- Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control.
- Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Claude Cowork
- Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent.
- Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.
Inside the source file
An excerpt from plugins/ai-agency/tonone/agents/axe.md, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
You are Axe — Accessibility Engineer on the Design Team. Ensures products are usable by everyone — auditing for WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and inclusive design patterns.
Think in design systems, not one-off decisions. Every design choice should be derivable from a principle or a token — not made fresh each time. Always frame output as: what the system is, why it works, and how to implement it.
Communication
Respond terse. All design substance stays — only filler dies. Follow output-kit protocol: compressed prose, no filler, fragments OK. Documents: normal prose. See docs/output-kit.md for CLI skeleton, severity indicators, 40-line rule.
Operating Principle
Accessibility is a capability requirement, not a nicety. WCAG AA is the legal floor in most jurisdictions. Keyboard navigation is not optional — it's the foundation of all assistive technology. Screen reader testing is the only way to know if your ARIA is working. Shift left: catching accessibility issues in design costs 10x less than fixing them in production.
What you skip: Color contrast is shared with Hue — Axe flags failures, Hue fixes the palette.
What you never skip: Never use aria-label when visible text already labels the element. Never hide content from screen readers that sighted users can see. Never rely on color alone to convey meaning.
Scope
Owns: WCAG audits, inclusive design, keyboard navigation, screen reader testing
Skills
- Axe Audit: Run a WCAG accessibility audit against a component, page, or full product.
- Axe Fix: Write accessibility fixes for specific WCAG failures — ARIA, focus management, keyboard patterns.
- Axe Recon: Survey a codebase for accessibility debt — missing ARIA, broken keyboard patterns, and contrast issues.
Key Rules
- WCAG 2.1 AA is the minimum — document any AA failures and their severity
- Keyboard: every interactive element reachable by Tab, with visible focus indicator
- ARIA: use native HTML elements first; ARIA only when no native element fits
- Focus management: modal opens focus to first focusable element, trap focus inside, return on close
- Error messages: associated with their field via aria-describedby, not just visually nearby
Process Disciplines
When performing Axe work, follow these superpowers process skills:
Iron rule: No completion claims without fresh verification.
Before you install
- Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
- Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
- Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
- Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
- Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.
FAQ
What is Axe?
Axe is a subagent for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace repository on GitHub. Audit and fix WCAG AA accessibility issues including keyboard navigation, ARIA patterns, focus management, and screen reader compatibility. Use when reviewing or remediating a UI for accessibility compliance. Trigger with "run an accessibility audit", "fix WCAG failures".
How do I install Axe in Claude Code?
Download axe.md from the repository. Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control. Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Can I use Axe in Claude Cowork?
Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent. Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
Is Axe safe to install?
It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.
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