WCAG 2.2: What Changed and What You Need to Know

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023, building on WCAG 2.1 with nine new success criteria. If your compliance strategy is still based on WCAG 2.0 or 2.1, it is time to update.

What Is New in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria across Levels A, AA, and AAA. Here are the ones most relevant to Level AA compliance:

2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — Level AA

When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, it must not be entirely hidden by other content such as sticky headers, footers, or overlapping elements. This is a common issue on sites with fixed navigation bars that cover focused elements as the user tabs through the page.

2.4.13 Focus Appearance — Level AAA

While this is Level AAA (not required for most compliance), it sets a clear standard for focus indicators: they should have a minimum area of a 2px solid outline and a contrast ratio of at least 3:1. Many organizations are adopting this as a best practice even at Level AA.

2.5.7 Dragging Movements — Level AA

Any functionality that uses dragging (such as drag-and-drop interfaces, sliders, or sortable lists) must also be operable with a single pointer without dragging. This helps users with motor disabilities who may struggle with click-and-drag operations.

2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — Level AA

Interactive targets (buttons, links, form controls) must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels, or have sufficient spacing from adjacent targets. Exceptions exist for inline links within text, targets where the size is determined by the user agent, and cases where the target spacing is at least 24px. This criterion addresses a long-standing mobile accessibility concern.

3.2.6 Consistent Help — Level A

If a website provides help mechanisms (such as contact information, chat, or FAQ links), these must appear in the same relative order across pages. This helps users with cognitive disabilities find help reliably.

3.3.7 Redundant Entry — Level A

Information previously entered by the user during a process must be auto-populated or available for selection, rather than requiring the user to re-enter it. Exceptions exist for security purposes and when the information is no longer valid.

3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) — Level AA

Authentication processes must not require cognitive function tests (such as memorizing a password or solving a puzzle) unless an alternative is provided. This criterion allows for password managers, copy-paste, and authentication devices. CAPTCHAs that rely on object recognition or personal content are explicitly called out as barriers.

What Was Removed?

WCAG 2.2 removed one success criterion from WCAG 2.1:

4.1.1 Parsing was removed because modern browsers and assistive technologies handle parsing errors gracefully. HTML validation is still good practice, but it is no longer a WCAG conformance requirement.

How to Update Your Compliance Strategy

1. Audit against WCAG 2.2. If you were previously testing against WCAG 2.1, you need to evaluate your site against the new criteria.

1. Check target sizes. The 24x24px minimum (2.5.8) is one of the most commonly failed new criteria. Review all buttons, links, and interactive controls — especially on mobile.

1. Review dragging interactions. If your site uses drag-and-drop, sliders, or sortable elements, ensure there are single-pointer alternatives.

1. Test focus visibility. Make sure focused elements are not hidden behind sticky headers or other overlapping content.

1. Verify authentication flows. Ensure your login process does not rely solely on cognitive function tests without alternatives.

ADAfriendly scans now check for all WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA criteria, so running a fresh scan is the fastest way to identify gaps.