AI agents
Accessibility tree
The accessibility tree is the browser’s simplified version of a page that keeps what matters for interaction: the roles, names and states of elements like buttons, links and form fields.
In plain words
Screen readers and other assistive technology use it to describe a page to people.
web.dev calls it the page’s semantic summary, and says AI agents use it as a map that ignores the visual noise of CSS.
Example
In the snippet below, the for attribute links the label to the input. The accessibility tree then knows this field is called "Email address". Without that link, the field has no name.
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input id="email" type="email">Why it matters for AI search
Google says browser agents may interpret the accessibility tree to get their tasks done.
So good accessibility now also helps AI agents use your site.
What you can do
- Use semantic HTML elements such as button, a, label, nav and main.
- If you must use a div as a button, give it role="button" and a tabindex, as web.dev advises.
- Give images useful alt text and form fields real labels.
Often confused with
- The DOM
- The DOM is the full structure of the page. The accessibility tree is a reduced view of what you can interact with.
Sources
- web.dev: Build agent-friendly websites
- Google Search Central: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search
Facts and sources last checked on 19 October 2026.
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