Version 2.2

Block Accessibility Checks 2.2 is out—see the full changelog below.

Added

• Heading rank validation system: New comprehensive heading hierarchy validation for WordPress core heading blocks
• Heading rank violation detection: Real-time validation that detects when heading levels are skipped (e.g., H2 followed by H4)
• First heading level validation: Intelligent validation of the first heading in a document based on available heading restrictions
• Document-wide heading analysis: Validation system that analyzes the entire document structure, including nested blocks (groups, columns, etc.)
• Global heading change listener: Real-time monitoring of heading structure changes to trigger re-validation across all heading blocks
• Image alt text pattern validation: New validation system that detects non-descriptive alt text patterns like “image”, “picture”, “photo”, and other generic terms
• Advanced URL validation system: New `isValidUrl()` function using the `tldts` library for real TLD validation against the Public Suffix List (PSL)
• Public Suffix List integration: URL validation now uses the official PSL to validate legitimate top-level domains and reject fake domains
• International domain support: Enhanced validation supports international domains, punycode, and complex TLDs (e.g., .co.uk)
• Development environment support: Proper validation for localhost, IP addresses, and .localhost domains for development workflows

Changed

• Core block check system: Extended `CoreBlockChecks.php` to support heading validation with new check types (`check_heading_rank` and `check_heading_first_level`) and image alt text pattern validation (`check_image_alt_text_patterns`)
• Settings page heading restrictions: Enhanced heading level restriction system to only allow removal of H1, H5, and H6 levels for better accessibility compliance
• Image validation system: Enhanced image alt text validation to include pattern checking for non-descriptive terms and generic phrases
• JavaScript validation pipeline: Updated validation system to handle document-wide heading analysis using WordPress core data stores
• Settings page checkbox positioning: Repositioned heading level restriction checkboxes above individual check settings for better UX
• Function organization: Reorganized validation functions for better code flow and maintainability
• URL validation architecture: Migrated from custom regex patterns to the `tldts` library for more accurate and maintainable domain validation
• Button link validation: Updated `validateButtonLink()` function to use the new robust URL validation system
• Validation accuracy: Enhanced validation now properly rejects fake domains like “foo.notworking” while allowing legitimate URLs
• Code documentation: Improved comments and documentation throughout the URL validation system for better maintainability
• Heading validation documentation: Enhanced JSDoc comments and inline documentation in `headingRankValidation.js` for improved code clarity and maintainability

Fixed

• Heading validation error display: Fixed issue where validation errors were incorrectly displaying on all heading blocks instead of only problematic ones
• First heading validation logic: Resolved validation to properly check the first heading level based on available heading restrictions
• Heading level restriction validation: Fixed settings page to only allow removal of appropriate heading levels (H1, H5, H6) while preserving essential heading structure
• Fake domain acceptance: Fixed critical issue where invalid domains like “foo.notworking” were being accepted due to insufficient TLD validation
• Button validation bypass: Resolved issue where invalid URLs like “http://test” were being accepted in button blocks
• TLD validation accuracy: Fixed validation to use real TLD data instead of hardcoded lists, ensuring accuracy and future-proofing
• Development workflow compatibility: Fixed validation to properly handle localhost and IP addresses for development environments