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WCAG 2.2 New Success Criteria: What Changed from WCAG 2.1

WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023, adding 9 new success criteria and removing 1. Here is a complete breakdown of every change, why it matters, and exactly how to implement each new requirement in your website.

Overview: WCAG 2.2 vs WCAG 2.1

WCAG 2.2 is the current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C in October 2023. It builds on WCAG 2.1 (2018), which itself built on WCAG 2.0 (2008). All WCAG 2.1 success criteria remain in WCAG 2.2, with one exception: 4.1.1 Parsing was removed as it is no longer practically relevant to modern browsers.

WCAG 2.2 adds 9 new success criteria across three conformance levels (A, AA, AAA). The new criteria focus heavily on mobile usability, cognitive accessibility, and authentication.

Quick Summary

  • 9 new success criteria added (3 at Level A/AA, 6 at Level AAA)
  • 1 success criterion removed (4.1.1 Parsing)
  • New criteria focus: mobile, cognitive accessibility, authentication
  • EAA and most regulations reference WCAG 2.1 AA, but upgrading to 2.2 is recommended

New Level A Success Criteria

2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — Level AA

When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the component must not be entirely hidden by author-created content. The focused element must be at least partially visible.

What fails: Sticky headers, cookie banners, or chat widgets that cover focused elements as users tab through the page.

How to fix: Use scroll-margin-top to account for sticky elements. Ensure sticky elements have appropriate z-index management. Test by tabbing through your entire page.

:focus {
  scroll-margin-top: 80px; /* height of sticky header */
}

2.5.7 Dragging Movements — Level AA

All functionality that uses a dragging movement for operation can be achieved with a single pointer without dragging, unless dragging is essential.

What fails: Drag-and-drop interfaces with no alternative, sliders that can only be adjusted by dragging, sortable lists with no reorder buttons.

How to fix: Provide alternative controls for every drag operation. For sortable lists, add up/down buttons. For sliders, ensure keyboard arrow keys work and provide number inputs.

2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — Level AA

The size of the target for pointer inputs must be at least 24 × 24 CSS pixels, with some exceptions.

What fails: Small icon buttons, closely spaced navigation links, tiny checkboxes, inline links too close to adjacent links.

How to fix: Ensure interactive elements are at minimum 24×24px. Use padding to increase the tap target without changing visual size:

button {
  min-height: 24px;
  min-width: 24px;
  padding: 8px 12px; /* increases hit area */
}

New Level AA Success Criteria

2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) — Level AAA

The enhanced version of Focus Not Obscured requires that no part of the focused element is hidden by author-created content (not just partially visible as in the AA version).

2.4.13 Focus Appearance — Level AAA

The keyboard focus indicator must meet specific requirements for area, contrast, and style. The focus indicator must have an area of at least the perimeter of the component squared, and a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between focused and unfocused states.

How to fix: Replace browser default outlines with custom focus styles that meet both criteria:

:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid #005FCC; /* 3:1 contrast on white */
  outline-offset: 2px;
  border-radius: 2px;
}

3.2.6 Consistent Help — Level A

If a web page includes a human contact mechanism, a community mechanism, self-help options, or fully automated contact mechanism, these must appear in the same relative order across pages.

What fails: Help links in the header on some pages but the footer on others. Contact buttons that move around between page types.

How to fix: Place help mechanisms (live chat, contact links, help center links) in consistent locations across all pages — typically in the header or footer.

3.3.7 Redundant Entry — Level A

Information previously entered by the user that is required again in the same process must either be auto-populated or available for selection, unless re-entering is essential or security requires it.

What fails: Multi-step forms that ask for the same information twice (name on page 1 and again on a review page), shipping and billing address entered separately.

How to fix: Use a "same as shipping address" checkbox. Auto-populate fields when users have already provided the data in the same session.

3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) — Level AA

A cognitive function test (such as remembering a password, solving a puzzle, or transcribing characters) must not be required for any step in an authentication process unless an alternative is provided.

What fails: CAPTCHA challenges with no alternative (like audio CAPTCHA). Requiring users to identify objects in images with no other option.

How to fix: Allow password managers (never block paste in password fields). Provide alternatives to visual CAPTCHAs. Support passkeys and magic link authentication.

<!-- NEVER do this -->
<input type="password" autocomplete="off" onpaste="return false" />

<!-- DO this instead -->
<input type="password" autocomplete="current-password" />

3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) — Level AAA

The enhanced version removes exceptions: no cognitive function test is allowed at any step of authentication, without alternatives.

What Was Removed: 4.1.1 Parsing

WCAG 2.1 included Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing, which required HTML to be well-formed and free of parsing errors that could cause problems for assistive technologies. This criterion was removed in WCAG 2.2 because:

  • Modern browsers have become very good at handling malformed HTML
  • Assistive technologies now rely on the browser's accessibility tree, not raw HTML parsing
  • The criterion was widely misunderstood and generated many false failures

If you were previously failing 4.1.1 due to duplicate IDs or unclosed tags, note that these issues still matter for other reasons (JavaScript selection, CSS styling) but are no longer WCAG failures in WCAG 2.2.

Which Version Should You Target?

Most legal requirements still reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA:

  • European Accessibility Act (EAA) — references EN 301 549 which aligns with WCAG 2.1 AA
  • ADA Title II rule (US) — requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA
  • Section 508 (US federal) — references WCAG 2.0 Level AA

However, since WCAG 2.2 is backwards-compatible (all 2.1 AA criteria remain), targeting WCAG 2.2 AA is the recommended approach. It future-proofs your compliance as regulations catch up.

How to Test for WCAG 2.2 Compliance

FixMyWeb scans against both WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 criteria in a single audit. Our free scanner checks 201 criteria in under 60 seconds, including the new WCAG 2.2 requirements for focus visibility, target size, dragging alternatives, and authentication.

Scan your website for WCAG 2.2 compliance →

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