WCAG 2.2 checklist in plain English

How to use this checklist

WCAG is organised under four principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Each success criterion has a number, a name and a level. Level A is the minimum; level AA adds the requirements most organisations aim for; level AAA is not usually required for whole sites.

WCAG 2.2 has 55 success criteria at levels A and AA. Work through the list for your page templates (home, article, product, form, checkout) rather than for every page individually. Items marked as testable by scanners can be checked automatically, at least in part; the rest need a person.

What is new in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023. It keeps everything from 2.1, removes 4.1.1 Parsing as obsolete, and adds these criteria at levels A and AA:

• 2.4.11 Focus not obscured (minimum), AA: the element with keyboard focus is not completely hidden by sticky headers, chat buttons or cookie banners.
• 2.5.7 Dragging movements, AA: anything done by dragging, such as a slider or a sortable list, can also be done with simple clicks or taps.
• 2.5.8 Target size (minimum), AA: buttons and links are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough space around them.
• 3.2.6 Consistent help, A: help options such as a contact link or chat appear in the same place on every page.
• 3.3.7 Redundant entry, A: people are not asked to type the same information twice in one process, for example the address at checkout.
• 3.3.8 Accessible authentication (minimum), AA: logging in does not depend on remembering or transcribing something, such as a puzzle; pasting passwords and password managers work.

1. Perceivable

Information and interface components must be presentable in ways people can perceive.

• 1.1.1 Non-text content (A): informative images, icons and image buttons have a text alternative; decorative images are hidden from screen readers. Scanners can test this in part.
• 1.2.1 Audio-only and video-only (A): provide a transcript for audio, and a transcript or audio track for silent video.
• 1.2.2 Captions, prerecorded (A): videos with sound have accurate captions.
• 1.2.3 Audio description or media alternative (A): important visual information in videos is described in audio or in a text alternative.
• 1.2.4 Captions, live (AA): live video streams have captions.
• 1.2.5 Audio description (AA): prerecorded videos have audio description where visuals carry meaning.
• 1.3.1 Info and relationships (A): headings, lists, tables, labels and groups are marked up in code, not just styled. Scanners can test this in part.
• 1.3.2 Meaningful sequence (A): the reading order in the code matches the visual order.
• 1.3.3 Sensory characteristics (A): instructions do not rely only on shape, position or sound, such as "click the round button on the right".
• 1.3.4 Orientation (AA): the site works in portrait and landscape.
• 1.3.5 Identify input purpose (AA): personal data fields use the right autocomplete values, so browsers can fill them in. Scanners can test this.
• 1.4.1 Use of colour (A): colour is not the only way to show information, such as links in text or errors.
• 1.4.2 Audio control (A): sound that plays automatically for more than three seconds can be paused or muted.
• 1.4.3 Contrast, minimum (AA): text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, large text at least 3:1. Scanners can test this.
• 1.4.4 Resize text (AA): text can be zoomed to 200% without loss of content or function.
• 1.4.5 Images of text (AA): real text is used instead of pictures of text, except for logos.
• 1.4.10 Reflow (AA): content fits a 320 CSS pixel wide screen without sideways scrolling, which equals 400% zoom on a desktop.
• 1.4.11 Non-text contrast (AA): form field borders, icons and focus indicators have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
• 1.4.12 Text spacing (AA): nothing breaks when people increase line, letter and word spacing.
• 1.4.13 Content on hover or focus (AA): tooltips and pop-overs can be dismissed, can be hovered, and stay until the user moves away.

2. Operable

Interface components and navigation must be operable.

• 2.1.1 Keyboard (A): everything works with a keyboard alone.
• 2.1.2 No keyboard trap (A): keyboard focus never gets stuck in a component.
• 2.1.4 Character key shortcuts (A): single-key shortcuts can be turned off or remapped.
• 2.2.1 Timing adjustable (A): time limits can be turned off, adjusted or extended.
• 2.2.2 Pause, stop, hide (A): carousels, animations and auto-updating content can be paused.
• 2.3.1 Three flashes or below threshold (A): nothing flashes more than three times a second.
• 2.4.1 Bypass blocks (A): a skip link or landmarks let people jump past repeated navigation. Scanners can test this in part.
• 2.4.2 Page titled (A): every page has a descriptive title. Scanners can test that a title exists.
• 2.4.3 Focus order (A): keyboard focus moves in an order that preserves meaning.
• 2.4.4 Link purpose, in context (A): the purpose of each link is clear from its text or its surrounding sentence. Scanners can find empty links.
• 2.4.5 Multiple ways (AA): pages can be found in more than one way, such as navigation plus search or a site map.
• 2.4.6 Headings and labels (AA): headings and labels describe their topic or purpose.
• 2.4.7 Focus visible (AA): the keyboard focus indicator is visible.
• 2.4.11 Focus not obscured, minimum (AA, new): the focused element is not completely hidden by other content.
• 2.5.1 Pointer gestures (A): multi-finger or path-based gestures have a single-pointer alternative.
• 2.5.2 Pointer cancellation (A): actions happen when the pointer is released, so people can slide away to cancel.
• 2.5.3 Label in name (A): the accessible name of a control contains its visible label, so voice control works.
• 2.5.4 Motion actuation (A): functions triggered by shaking or tilting also work with a normal control.
• 2.5.7 Dragging movements (AA, new): dragging always has a click or tap alternative.
• 2.5.8 Target size, minimum (AA, new): targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or well spaced. Scanners can test this in part.

3. Understandable

Information and the operation of the interface must be understandable.

• 3.1.1 Language of page (A): the page language is set in the code. Scanners can test this.
• 3.1.2 Language of parts (AA): passages in another language are marked up.
• 3.2.1 On focus (A): moving focus to an element does not trigger an unexpected change, such as a new page.
• 3.2.2 On input (A): changing a setting does not trigger an unexpected change unless the user was told first.
• 3.2.3 Consistent navigation (AA): repeated navigation appears in the same order on every page.
• 3.2.4 Consistent identification (AA): things that work the same are labelled the same, such as the search icon.
• 3.2.6 Consistent help (A, new): help options appear in the same relative place on each page.
• 3.3.1 Error identification (A): errors are described in text and the field is identified.
• 3.3.2 Labels or instructions (A): form fields have labels and, where needed, instructions such as a date format. Scanners can find missing labels.
• 3.3.3 Error suggestion (AA): when the site knows how to fix an error, it suggests the fix.
• 3.3.4 Error prevention, legal, financial, data (AA): orders and submissions with legal or financial effect can be reviewed, corrected or reversed.
• 3.3.7 Redundant entry (A, new): information already entered in a process is filled in or selectable.
• 3.3.8 Accessible authentication, minimum (AA, new): logging in does not require a cognitive test; paste and password managers work.

4. Robust

Content must work with current and future browsers and assistive technologies.

• 4.1.2 Name, role, value (A): custom controls such as menus, tabs and toggles expose their name, role and state to assistive technology. Scanners can test this in part.
• 4.1.3 Status messages (AA): messages such as "added to cart" or "5 results" are announced by screen readers without moving focus.

4.1.1 Parsing was removed in WCAG 2.2 because modern browsers and assistive technologies no longer depend on it.

Which version do laws ask for?

Many laws still point to WCAG 2.1 AA, for example the European standard EN 301 549 used by the European Accessibility Act, and the US Department of Justice rule for state and local governments. Because WCAG 2.2 contains everything in 2.1 except the removed Parsing criterion, meeting 2.2 AA also covers 2.1 AA. Targeting 2.2 now saves you a second round of work when laws update.

Questions and answers