Zeplin 5 revamps handoff with automated accessibility auditing powered by LLMs

Design · 4 min read

Zeplin 5 inspects exported components and runs a combined rule-based and LLM-enabled audit. It flags issues like ambiguous button text, missing alt text, and potential focus traps and then proposes fixes in both human language and developer-ready code changes.

The audit report links to exact component instances in the design file and creates checklist tasks that teams can assign. Zeplin argues this shifts many low-level accessibility tasks left in the workflow, reducing last-minute fixes during QA.

Design teams appreciate the automated remediation suggestions, but some accessibility specialists caution that automated fixes should be reviewed for context-specific appropriateness. Zeplin plans to add custom rule sets and enterprise policies to tailor audits to different regulatory environments.