WCAG 2.2
Also called Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2.
The version of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines published as a Recommendation on 5 October 2023, with nine new success criteria.
Last updated
What it is.
WCAG sets testable success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA. Most laws and contracts point to level AA. WCAG 2.2 builds on 2.1, adds nine criteria and removes one, 4.1.1 Parsing.
The new criteria at A and AA include Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry and Accessible Authentication (Minimum). They mostly help people with low vision, motor and cognitive disabilities.
Why it matters
WCAG is the reference that accessibility laws, procurement rules and VPATs point to. Moving from 2.1 to 2.2 affects login, forms and touch targets, which are in almost every product. Building to 2.2 AA now avoids rework when buyers start asking for it.
In a product build
We set 2.2 AA as the default target in our design system: target sizes, visible focus that sticky headers do not cover, paste allowed in login fields, and no repeated data entry in multi-step forms. Automated checks run in CI and an accessibility audit covers the rest.
Common mistakes.
- 01
Blocking paste in password and code fields, which fails Accessible Authentication.
- 02
Sticky headers or cookie bars that hide the focused element.
- 03
Drag-only interactions, such as sliders or reordering, with no single-pointer alternative.
Read the official text.
Primary sources this definition is based on.
- W3C WAI, What's new in WCAG 2.2checked 2026-10-25
Related terms.
- Accessibility auditA structured review of a website or app against an accessibility standard, usually WCAG, to find what blocks disabled people from using it.
- VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)A free template from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) for reporting how well a product meets accessibility standards.
- PWA (progressive web app)A web app built with standard web technology that can be installed on a device and work offline, giving an experience close to a native app.
- CI/CD (continuous integration and delivery)An automated pipeline that builds and tests every code change (CI) and then releases it to users in a repeatable way (CD).
- Offline-firstA way of building apps so they work fully without a network connection, saving changes on the device and syncing them when a connection returns.
