WCAG 2.2 is the current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the standard the US Department of Justice points to as guidance for accessible websites (ADA.gov). W3C published it on 5 October 2023 (W3C). It adds nine new success criteria and drops one, and everything else from WCAG 2.1 stays the same.
For a business website, the short version is this: six of the nine new rules apply at Level A or AA, the levels most sites aim for. They’re about things you’ll recognize: focus hidden behind sticky headers, buttons too small to tap, sliders that only work by dragging, help links that move around, checkout forms that ask for the same address twice, and logins that block password managers. If your site already meets WCAG 2.1 AA, these six are your to-do list.
This guide explains each change in plain English, which ones you can skip, and how to check your site.
What’s new in WCAG 2.2 at a glance
| Criterion | Level | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | When you tab to something, it can’t be completely hidden behind a sticky header, chat widget or cookie banner |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | AA | Anything you can drag, like a price slider, also needs a way to work with simple clicks or taps |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | AA | Buttons and links are at least 24 by 24 pixels, or have enough space around them |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | A | Help options like a phone number or chat link appear in the same place on every page |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | A | People don’t have to type the same information twice in one process |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | Logging in can’t depend on remembering or retyping something, unless there’s an alternative such as a password manager or paste |
| 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) | AAA | The focused item must be fully visible, not just partly |
| 2.4.13 Focus Appearance | AAA | The focus outline must meet size and contrast minimums |
| 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) | AAA | A stricter version of 3.3.8 with fewer exceptions |
Removed: 4.1.1 Parsing, which W3C now considers obsolete (W3C).
Most business websites aim for Level AA, which includes everything at Level A. The three AAA criteria are worth knowing about but aren’t part of a typical AA target.
The six changes that matter for a business website
1. Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11, AA)
Keyboard users move through a page with the Tab key, and the highlighted item is where they are. If a sticky header, a chat bubble or a cookie banner covers that item completely, they’re lost.
Where it shows up: sticky headers and footers, “chat with us” widgets, cookie and newsletter banners that stay on screen.
How to check: Tab through your page from top to bottom. Every time the highlighted item scrolls near the top or bottom edge, make sure you can still see at least part of it.
Typical fix: Add scroll padding equal to your header’s height so the browser stops scrolling focused items under it, and make sure banners can be closed.
2. Dragging Movements (2.5.7, AA)
Some people can’t hold a mouse button down and drag, or can’t drag accurately on a touchscreen. Anything that works by dragging needs another way to do the same thing with single clicks or taps.
Where it shows up: price range sliders on store filters, drag-to-reorder lists, image comparison sliders, map pins.
How to check: Find every slider or draggable element and try to use it with clicks only. A price filter passes if it also has number fields or plus and minus buttons.
Typical fix: Add input fields or buttons next to the slider.
3. Target Size (2.5.8, AA)
Small buttons are hard to hit for anyone with a tremor, limited dexterity or large fingers. Clickable targets need to be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced far enough apart that a 24-pixel circle around each one doesn’t overlap its neighbor. Links inside a sentence are exempt (W3C).
Where it shows up: quantity plus and minus buttons, close icons on pop-ups, social media icons, pagination numbers, and tightly packed footer links.
How to check: Automated tools can flag some small targets, but check your mobile layout by eye too. If you have to aim carefully with your thumb, it’s probably too small.
Typical fix: Increase the clickable area with padding, even if the icon itself stays small.
4. Consistent Help (3.2.6, A)
If you offer help on several pages, whether a phone number, an email address, a contact link or a chat button, it should appear in the same relative place on each one. People who need help shouldn’t have to hunt for it.
Where it shows up: contact details that are in the header on some pages and only in the footer on others, or a chat button that appears on product pages but not at checkout.
How to check: Open your homepage, a product page, your cart and your contact page, and compare where help appears.
Typical fix: Put help in a shared header or footer, so it’s in the same place everywhere.
5. Redundant Entry (3.3.7, A)
People shouldn’t have to type information they’ve already given in the same process, unless re-entering it is essential, such as confirming a new password.
Where it shows up: checkouts that ask for a shipping address and then the same billing address, and multi-step forms that ask for an email on step one and again on step three.
How to check: Go through your checkout and any multi-step form, and note anything you type twice.
Typical fix: A “Billing address same as shipping” checkbox, or fields that fill in automatically from earlier answers. Most Shopify and WooCommerce checkouts already have this option, so make sure your theme hasn’t removed it.
6. Accessible Authentication (3.3.8, AA)
Logging in can’t depend on a memory or transcription test, like remembering a password with no way to paste it, or typing characters from a distorted image, unless there’s an alternative. Allowing password managers and copy and paste is enough to meet it (W3C).
Where it shows up: login and account pages that block pasting into the password field, and text CAPTCHAs on login or checkout.
How to check: Try logging in with a password manager, then try pasting a password. Both should work.
Typical fix: Remove any code or security plugin setting that blocks paste, and replace text CAPTCHAs with an option that doesn’t require transcribing characters.
Does your website need to meet WCAG 2.2?
No US law names WCAG 2.2 for business websites. The ADA doesn’t set a technical standard for them at all. The DOJ says businesses have flexibility in how they make their sites accessible, and points to WCAG as helpful guidance without naming a version (ADA.gov).
The one place the DOJ did pick a version is its rule for state and local government websites, which uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Those deadlines now fall in April 2027 and April 2028, depending on the government’s size (Mondaq). That rule doesn’t apply to private businesses.
So why bother with 2.2? Three reasons:
- It costs you almost nothing extra. If you meet WCAG 2.2, you also meet 2.1 and 2.0, apart from the removed parsing rule (W3C). Aiming for 2.2 covers you whichever version someone measures you against.
- The six changes are cheap and practical. Most are a CSS tweak, a checkbox or a settings change, not a redesign.
- They fix real problems for real customers. Tiny buttons, hidden focus and repeated checkout fields make your site harder to use for everyone, not only people with disabilities.
Our recommendation: make WCAG 2.1 Level AA your baseline, and add the six 2.2 changes on top.
How to check your site against WCAG 2.2
Do it in two steps.
- Scan your key pages for the WCAG 2.1 basics. Most problems on most sites are the old ones: low contrast, missing alt text, unlabeled form fields and unnamed buttons. A scan finds these in about a minute per page and tells you what to fix first. Start with your homepage, a product or service page, your checkout or booking form, and your contact page.
- Run the six 2.2 checks above by hand. They take about 15 minutes for those same pages. Most of them depend on how the page behaves when you use it, which is why a person needs to look.
Not sure what the ADA expects of your site in the first place? Start with our guide to ADA website compliance for online stores.
FAQ
What’s the difference between WCAG 2.2 and 2.1?
WCAG 2.2 keeps everything in 2.1, adds nine new success criteria and removes one, 4.1.1 Parsing. Six of the new criteria are at Level A or AA, the levels most websites aim for (W3C).
When was WCAG 2.2 released?
W3C published WCAG 2.2 as a Recommendation on 5 October 2023 (W3C). The current edition is dated 12 December 2024 (W3C).
How many success criteria are in WCAG 2.2?
86 in total. To meet Level AA, a site has to meet the 55 that are at Level A or AA.
What does WCAG 2.2 AA mean?
WCAG has three levels: A, AA and AAA. Meeting Level AA means meeting every Level A and Level AA success criterion. It’s the level most guidance and policies aim for. AAA is the strictest and isn’t expected for whole websites.
Is WCAG 2.2 a legal requirement?
Not for US businesses. No US law names WCAG 2.2 for business websites, and the DOJ points to WCAG as guidance without naming a version (ADA.gov). Meeting 2.2 also meets 2.1, so it’s the safest version to aim for. This is general information, not legal advice.
What’s the difference between WCAG and the ADA?
The ADA is the law: it says businesses open to the public must be accessible. WCAG is the technical standard that explains how to make a website accessible. The ADA doesn’t mention WCAG for business websites, but WCAG is what the DOJ points to as guidance.
What’s the minimum button size in WCAG 2.2?
24 by 24 CSS pixels at Level AA, or enough space around smaller targets. Links inside a sentence are exempt (W3C). The stricter AAA level, from WCAG 2.1, asks for 44 by 44 pixels.
