WCAG 2.2: the accessibility guidelines in plain language

What they are

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a standard from the W3C, the consortium that publishes web standards. Version 2.2 was published as a W3C Recommendation in October 2023.

WCAG is organised around four principles. Content must be:

• Perceivable: it can be seen, heard or read in some way. For example, images have alternative text and videos have captions.
• Operable: it can be used with different devices, including with a keyboard alone, and with enough time.
• Understandable: the content and how it works are clear and predictable, and errors are explained.
• Robust: it works well with browsers and assistive technologies, such as screen readers.

Under those principles there are 13 guidelines and 86 success criteria, each with a level: A (the minimum), AA and AAA (the most demanding). European laws refer to levels A and AA: 55 success criteria in WCAG 2.2, 31 at level A and 24 at level AA.

What is new compared with WCAG 2.1

WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria and removes one. Six of the new ones are level A or AA, so they count for legal purposes once EN 301 549 v4.1.1 applies:

• 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), level AA.
• 2.5.7 Dragging Movements, level AA.
• 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), level AA.
• 3.2.6 Consistent Help, level A.
• 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, level A.
• 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), level AA.

The other three are level AAA: 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), 2.4.13 Focus Appearance and 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced). Success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing has been removed because it is now obsolete.

WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2?

EN 301 549 v3.2.1, currently cited in the Official Journal of the EU, is based on WCAG 2.1. Version 4.1.1, which is expected to be cited in the fourth quarter of 2026, is based on WCAG 2.2. If you meet WCAG 2.2 level AA, you also meet WCAG 2.1 level AA, except for the old success criterion 4.1.1, which the W3C considers always met for HTML and XML content. That is why we recommend working with WCAG 2.2 now.

The 55 level A and AA success criteria

We use the official names of the success criteria from the W3C. The reference is always the W3C's original text.

WCAG 2.2 level A and AA success criteria

Criterion	Name	Level
1.1.1	Non-text Content	A
1.2.1	Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)	A
1.2.2	Captions (Prerecorded)	A
1.2.3	Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)	A
1.2.4	Captions (Live)	AA
1.2.5	Audio Description (Prerecorded)	AA
1.3.1	Info and Relationships	A
1.3.2	Meaningful Sequence	A
1.3.3	Sensory Characteristics	A
1.3.4	Orientation	AA
1.3.5	Identify Input Purpose	AA
1.4.1	Use of Color	A
1.4.2	Audio Control	A
1.4.3	Contrast (Minimum)	AA
1.4.4	Resize Text	AA
1.4.5	Images of Text	AA
1.4.10	Reflow	AA
1.4.11	Non-text Contrast	AA
1.4.12	Text Spacing	AA
1.4.13	Content on Hover or Focus	AA
2.1.1	Keyboard	A
2.1.2	No Keyboard Trap	A
2.1.4	Character Key Shortcuts	A
2.2.1	Timing Adjustable	A
2.2.2	Pause, Stop, Hide	A
2.3.1	Three Flashes or Below Threshold	A
2.4.1	Bypass Blocks	A
2.4.2	Page Titled	A
2.4.3	Focus Order	A
2.4.4	Link Purpose (In Context)	A
2.4.5	Multiple Ways	AA
2.4.6	Headings and Labels	AA
2.4.7	Focus Visible	AA
2.4.11	Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) New in 2.2	AA
2.5.1	Pointer Gestures	A
2.5.2	Pointer Cancellation	A
2.5.3	Label in Name	A
2.5.4	Motion Actuation	A
2.5.7	Dragging Movements New in 2.2	AA
2.5.8	Target Size (Minimum) New in 2.2	AA
3.1.1	Language of Page	A
3.1.2	Language of Parts	AA
3.2.1	On Focus	A
3.2.2	On Input	A
3.2.3	Consistent Navigation	AA
3.2.4	Consistent Identification	AA
3.2.6	Consistent Help New in 2.2	A
3.3.1	Error Identification	A
3.3.2	Labels or Instructions	A
3.3.3	Error Suggestion	AA
3.3.4	Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)	AA
3.3.7	Redundant Entry New in 2.2	A
3.3.8	Accessible Authentication (Minimum) New in 2.2	AA
4.1.2	Name, Role, Value	A
4.1.3	Status Messages	AA

How many can be checked automatically?

Few can be checked completely. Automated tests detect clear failures for some success criteria, such as a form field without a label (1.3.1 and 4.1.2), insufficient contrast (1.4.3) or a page with no language set (3.1.1). But it takes a person to decide whether alternative text describes an image well (1.1.1) or whether headings describe their content (2.4.6). This is how we take it into account in our score.

Official texts

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, on the W3C website
• Introduction to WCAG, from the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Last reviewed: 25 September 2026.