dequelabs/axe-core

Expose a rule's `enabled` property in the official API

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#5,116 opened on May 24, 2026

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feathelp wanted

Description

Product

axe-core

Feature Description

To my knowledge, there's currently no official way to get the list of rules that are enabled when axe.run() is called with no options.

There's an axe.getRules() method, but that returns all rules, including the ones that are disabled by default.

There is an undocumented way to get such a list today (axe._audit.rules.filter(rule => rule.enabled)).

It would be great to expose the ability to filter rules by whether they're enabled as part of the official API, for example by adding the enabled key to the rule objects returned by axe.getRules(), or by introducing a new method.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
apiaccessibilitytesting
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
JavaScriptFamiliarity with axe core API
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Start by examining the existing `axe.getRules()` method in `doc/API.md` and its implementation. Look at how rules are stored in `axe. audit.rules` and how the `enabled` property is used. The goal is to add `enabled` to the returned rule objects or create a new method. Check any related issues or PRs for context.