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All 55 criteria, in plain English.

WCAG 2.2 has 55 success criteria at levels A and AA. For each one: what it asks for, who it helps, where websites often fail and how to fix it.

Four principles, 55 criteria

  • 1. Perceivable 20 criteria
  • 2. Operable 20 criteria
  • 3. Understandable 13 criteria
  • 4. Robust 2 criteria

In short

WCAG 2.2 has 55 success criteria at levels A and AA, grouped under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Level AA is the level EN 301 549 refers to for websites. Each page below explains one criterion: what it means, who it helps, common failures and how we test it.

1. Perceivable

  • 1.1.1 A

    Non-text Content

    Every image, icon and other non-text element needs a text alternative that serves the same purpose, or must be hidden if purely decorative.

  • 1.2.1 A

    Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

    Pre-recorded audio-only content needs a transcript; pre-recorded video without sound needs a text description or an audio track.

  • 1.2.2 A

    Captions (Prerecorded)

    Pre-recorded videos with sound need accurate, synchronised captions for all dialogue and important sounds.

  • 1.2.3 A

    Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

    Pre-recorded videos need an audio description or a full text alternative so that visual information is available without seeing it.

  • 1.2.4 AA

    Captions (Live)

    Live videos with sound, such as webinars or live streams, need real-time captions.

  • 1.2.5 AA

    Audio Description (Prerecorded)

    Pre-recorded videos need an audio description of important visual information (level AA; a text alternative alone is not enough).

  • 1.3.1 A

    Info and Relationships

    Structure and relationships shown visually, such as headings, lists, tables and form labels, must also be present in the code.

  • 1.3.2 A

    Meaningful Sequence

    When the order of content affects its meaning, the reading order in the code must match that meaningful order.

  • 1.3.3 A

    Sensory Characteristics

    Instructions must not rely only on shape, colour, size, position, orientation or sound to be understood.

  • 1.3.4 AA

    Orientation

    Content must work in both portrait and landscape and must not be locked to one orientation unless that is essential.

  • 1.3.5 AA

    Identify Input Purpose

    Form fields that collect personal data about the user must declare their purpose in code, usually with the autocomplete attribute.

  • 1.4.1 A

    Use of Color

    Colour must not be the only way to show information, indicate an action, prompt a response or mark an element.

  • 1.4.2 A

    Audio Control

    Audio that plays automatically for more than 3 seconds must have a way to pause or stop it, or to control its volume separately.

  • 1.4.3 AA

    Contrast (Minimum)

    Text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 to its background, or 3:1 for large text.

  • 1.4.4 AA

    Resize Text

    Text must be resizable up to 200% without assistive technology and without losing content or functions.

  • 1.4.5 AA

    Images of Text

    Use real text instead of images of text, except for logos or where a particular visual presentation is essential.

  • 1.4.10 AA

    Reflow

    Content must reflow to a 320 CSS px wide viewport without scrolling in two directions and without loss of information.

  • 1.4.11 AA

    Non-text Contrast

    Visual parts of controls and meaningful graphics need a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colours.

  • 1.4.12 AA

    Text Spacing

    Content must stay readable and usable when users increase line height, paragraph, letter and word spacing to set values.

  • 1.4.13 AA

    Content on Hover or Focus

    Content that appears on hover or focus, such as tooltips, must be dismissible, hoverable and persistent.

2. Operable

  • 2.1.1 A

    Keyboard

    Every function of the page must work with a keyboard alone, without needing exact timing for individual keystrokes.

  • 2.1.2 A

    No Keyboard Trap

    If keyboard focus can move into a part of the page, it must be able to move out again with the keyboard alone.

  • 2.1.4 A

    Character Key Shortcuts

    Keyboard shortcuts that use a single letter, number or symbol key must be possible to turn off, remap, or only work when the component has focus.

  • 2.2.1 A

    Timing Adjustable

    When content has a time limit, users must be able to turn it off, adjust it or extend it, with a few narrow exceptions.

  • 2.2.2 A

    Pause, Stop, Hide

    Moving, blinking, scrolling or auto-updating content that starts by itself must have a way to pause, stop or hide it.

  • 2.3.1 A

    Three Flashes or Below Threshold

    Pages must not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second, unless the flash is below the defined thresholds.

  • 2.4.1 A

    Bypass Blocks

    There must be a way to skip blocks of content that repeat on many pages, such as the main navigation.

  • 2.4.2 A

    Page Titled

    Every web page needs a title that describes its topic or purpose.

  • 2.4.3 A

    Focus Order

    When users move through a page with the keyboard, focus must follow an order that keeps the meaning and operation intact.

  • 2.4.4 A

    Link Purpose (In Context)

    The purpose of each link must be clear from its text alone, or from the link text together with its surrounding context.

  • 2.4.5 AA

    Multiple Ways

    There must be more than one way to find a page within a website, except for pages that are a step in a process.

  • 2.4.6 AA

    Headings and Labels

    Headings and labels must describe the topic or purpose of the content or the form field they belong to.

  • 2.4.7 AA

    Focus Visible

    Anything that can be operated by keyboard must show a visible focus indicator when it has keyboard focus.

  • 2.4.11 AA new in WCAG 2.2

    Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)

    When an element receives keyboard focus, it must not be completely hidden by content the author added, such as sticky headers or banners.

  • 2.5.1 A

    Pointer Gestures

    Functions that use multi-finger or path-based gestures must also work with a single pointer and a simple tap or click.

  • 2.5.2 A

    Pointer Cancellation

    Actions triggered with a single pointer should run on release, not on press, or users must be able to abort or undo them.

  • 2.5.3 A

    Label in Name

    For controls with a visible text label, the accessible name must contain that same visible text.

  • 2.5.4 A

    Motion Actuation

    Functions triggered by moving the device or by gestures in front of a camera need an on-screen alternative and a way to switch motion off.

  • 2.5.7 AA new in WCAG 2.2

    Dragging Movements

    Anything done by dragging must also be possible with a single pointer without dragging, such as tapping or clicking.

  • 2.5.8 AA new in WCAG 2.2

    Target Size (Minimum)

    Click and tap targets must be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough space around them, with a few exceptions.

3. Understandable

  • 3.1.1 A

    Language of Page

    The main language of every page is set in code, so screen readers, translation tools and browsers handle the text correctly.

  • 3.1.2 AA

    Language of Parts

    Passages in a different language than the rest of the page are marked in code, so they are read out with the right pronunciation.

  • 3.2.1 A

    On Focus

    Moving focus to an element never triggers a major change on its own, such as opening a new window, submitting a form or jumping to another page.

  • 3.2.2 A

    On Input

    Changing a setting, such as picking an option or ticking a box, does not cause a major change unless users are told about it beforehand.

  • 3.2.3 AA

    Consistent Navigation

    Navigation that appears on several pages stays in the same relative order each time, so users can find their way around.

  • 3.2.4 AA

    Consistent Identification

    Elements that do the same thing on different pages are named and labelled the same way, so users recognise them.

  • 3.2.6 A new in WCAG 2.2

    Consistent Help

    Where help such as contact details, a contact form, chat or FAQ is offered on several pages, it appears in the same relative order on each.

  • 3.3.1 A

    Error Identification

    When a form detects an input error, the field in error is identified and the problem is described to the user in text.

  • 3.3.2 A

    Labels or Instructions

    Every form field has a visible label or instructions, including hints for required fields and expected formats.

  • 3.3.3 AA

    Error Suggestion

    If an input error is detected and a correction is known, the error message suggests how to fix it, unless that would harm security or purpose.

  • 3.3.4 AA

    Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)

    Orders, contracts, payments and changes to stored data can be reversed, checked for errors or reviewed and confirmed before they are final.

  • 3.3.7 A new in WCAG 2.2

    Redundant Entry

    Information a user already entered in the same process is filled in again or offered for selection, instead of being asked for a second time.

  • 3.3.8 AA new in WCAG 2.2

    Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

    Logging in never requires a cognitive test such as remembering, transcribing or solving a puzzle, unless an alternative or helping mechanism exists.

4. Robust

  • 4.1.2 A

    Name, Role, Value

    Every interactive element exposes its name, role and current state in code, so assistive technology can present and operate it.

  • 4.1.3 AA

    Status Messages

    Status messages such as "Added to cart" or "5 results found" are announced by screen readers without moving the focus.