How to fix meta viewport large on BigCommerce
Remove or raise the `maximum-scale` value in your meta viewport tag so users can pinch-zoom on mobile devices.
Steps for BigCommerce
- In your BigCommerce Control Panel, go to Storefront → My Themes.
- Click 'Advanced' → 'Edit Theme Files' on your active theme, OR download the theme, edit locally, and re-upload.
- Open 'templates/layout/base.html' (the path may vary slightly by theme).
- Search for 'viewport' and update the <meta name="viewport"> tag to remove zoom restrictions.
- Save or re-upload the theme and apply it.
What is meta viewport large?
Every webpage can include a small HTML tag called the "meta viewport" tag that tells mobile browsers how to display the page. One option inside that tag, `maximum-scale`, sets an upper limit on how far a user can zoom in. When `maximum-scale` is set to a value less than 5 (for example, `maximum-scale=1` or `user-scalable=no`), it physically prevents visitors from pinching to zoom — meaning they cannot make text or images larger, no matter how hard they try. This is the issue your scanner flagged.
Blocking zoom is a significant accessibility barrier for the roughly 2.2 billion people worldwide who have some form of vision impairment. Many low-vision users rely entirely on browser or OS zoom to read product descriptions, prices, and checkout instructions — locking zoom means they simply cannot use your store. Under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.4 (Resize Text), text must be resizable up to 200% without loss of content or functionality; a zoom-blocking viewport tag directly violates this criterion. This matters legally too: the ADA, EN 301 549 (EU), and equivalent accessibility laws increasingly cite WCAG conformance, so non-compliance creates real litigation and regulatory risk. Fixing it costs almost nothing (a one-line HTML change) and immediately improves usability for every visitor on a mobile device.
See the complete Meta viewport large guide for every platform and the full background.
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