Check a chatbot embed without blocking the documentation

Preserve the reading surface

Open the widget on a long article and inspect whether it covers navigation, code examples, notices or a key action. Check both the collapsed launcher and expanded panel. The assistant should be optional rather than a barrier to the underlying answer. If it competes with consent controls or a mobile action bar, adjust the layout or the entry point instead of assuming visitors will work around the overlap.

Walk the keyboard route

Use the keyboard to reach the launcher, open the panel, move through its controls, close it and return to the original reading position. Focus should remain visible and predictable. Check labels rather than relying on an icon’s appearance. WCAG provides the relevant accessibility principles, but this checklist is not an audit or a certification of a third-party widget. Record any behavior you cannot inspect.

Test content rather than an empty panel

A long answer, a citation and an error message may create different layout problems from the welcome screen. Use harmless test content within an authorized evaluation. Check whether links can be reached and whether text can be enlarged without clipping. If the widget uses a separate frame, verify the actual frame behavior rather than judging only the surrounding page’s styles.

Keep a graceful alternative

If a reader cannot use the chat, provide ordinary search, readable source articles or an appropriate contact route. Do not make the assistant the sole path to essential documentation. A feature can be useful for some readers without serving everyone. Resolve important interaction failures before expanding visibility, and keep removal possible if a later vendor update changes the interface unexpectedly.

• Check the launcher label, visible focus, close control and return location in a single keyboard journey rather than separate disconnected screenshots.