What is WCAG 2.2 AA?
WCAG 2.2 AA means a page meets every Level A and Level AA success criterion in version 2.2 of the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It is the level most laws, contracts and accessibility policies point to, because AAA cannot be met for all content.
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How the levels work
WCAG has three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. Each success criterion has one level, and conforming at AA means meeting all A and AA criteria. The criteria sit under four principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
WCAG 2.2 is a W3C Recommendation; the current version of the document is dated 12 December 2024. Content that meets 2.2 also meets 2.1 and 2.0.
What is new in 2.2 at A and AA
WCAG 2.2 added nine success criteria. These six are at Level A or AA:
- 12.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA: the focused element is not fully hidden by sticky headers, banners or chat widgets.
- 22.5.7 Dragging Movements, AA: anything done by dragging can also be done with a single pointer, such as taps or clicks.
- 32.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), AA: pointer targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with listed exceptions.
- 43.2.6 Consistent Help, A: help options like contact links appear in the same place across pages.
- 53.3.7 Redundant Entry, A: users are not asked to re-enter information they already gave in the same process.
- 63.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA: login does not depend on a cognitive test, such as remembering or transcribing a code, without an alternative like paste or a password manager.
How to build and test for it
Put the criteria into the design system: colour contrast, focus styles, target sizes and form patterns. Then test each release with automated checks, keyboard-only use and a screen reader. Automated tools find only part of the issues, so manual testing is still needed. 4.1.1 Parsing was removed in 2.2 as obsolete.
Read the official text.
- W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2checked 2026-10-25
Common follow-up questions.
Is WCAG a law?
No. It is a W3C standard. Laws and policies, such as the European Accessibility Act framework or public-sector rules, often point to it or to standards based on it.
Should we aim for AAA?
Meet AA everywhere, then adopt AAA criteria where they are practical. W3C does not recommend requiring AAA for whole sites, because some content cannot meet it.
Does an accessibility overlay make a site WCAG compliant?
No. Overlays cannot fix most underlying issues in the code, such as missing labels, keyboard traps or poor structure. Fix the source.
