Within the Silktide platform, there are 2 main types of checks, Automated and Assisted. There is also a third type of check that may be on an account, which is the Custom check.

Automated checks are checks where it is possible for a computer to determine if the check has passed. For example, a computer is able to see that an image has no alternative text set. This means that the check “Specify alternative text for all images” is an automated check.

This can also be seen when viewing the check’s screen, as underneath the name of the check the type of check is listed:

Assisted checks are checks that cannot be carried out solely by computers, or require a judgement decision. For example, a computer cannot tell you if an image’s alternative text is appropriate for the image. This means that the check “Ensure alternative text is appropriate” is an assisted check.

This can also be seen when viewing the check’s screen, as underneath the name of the check the type of check is listed:

Custom checks are checks that have been set up by a user creating a custom policy, and setting that custom policy to display the check under the Custom check tab.

Custom policies may also be set to be visible within either the automated or assisted checks tabs.

This can also be seen when viewing a check’s screen, as underneath the name of the check the type of check is listed:

To find out more on how to set up custom checks, have a look at the How to create your own policies support guide