WCAG 2.2 checklist: a plain-English guide

The four principles (POUR)

Every WCAG rule belongs to one of four principles. Content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust.

1. Perceivable

• Text alternatives (1.1.1): every meaningful image has alt text that says what it shows or does. Decorative images use empty alt (alt="").
• Captions (1.2.2): videos with speech have captions; audio has a transcript.
• Structure (1.3.1): use real headings (h1–h6), lists and table headers, not just bold text.
• Contrast (1.4.3): normal text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, large text at least 3:1.
• Resize and reflow (1.4.4, 1.4.10): the page works when zoomed to 200% and on a 320px-wide screen without sideways scrolling.
• Non-text contrast (1.4.11): buttons, inputs and focus outlines have at least 3:1 contrast.
• Don't rely on color alone (1.4.1): errors and links aren't shown by color only.

2. Operable

• Keyboard (2.1.1): everything works with the Tab, Enter, Space and arrow keys, with no keyboard traps.
• Skip link (2.4.1): a "Skip to content" link lets keyboard users jump past the menu.
• Page titles (2.4.2): each page has a unique, descriptive title.
• Focus order and visible focus (2.4.3, 2.4.7): the focus moves in a logical order and is always clearly visible.
• Focus not hidden (2.4.11, new in 2.2): sticky headers or banners don't cover the focused element.
• Link purpose (2.4.4): link text makes sense on its own; avoid "click here".
• Target size (2.5.8, new in 2.2): buttons and links are at least 24×24 pixels.
• Dragging (2.5.7, new in 2.2): anything you can drag can also be done with a simple click.
• Motion and timing (2.2.2, 2.3.1): moving content can be paused, and nothing flashes more than 3 times a second.

3. Understandable

• Language (3.1.1): the page sets its language, for example <html lang="en">.
• Predictable (3.2.1, 3.2.2): focusing or changing a field doesn't unexpectedly submit forms or open new pages.
• Consistent help (3.2.6, new in 2.2): help and contact links are in the same place on every page.
• Labels and instructions (3.3.2): every form field has a visible label.
• Error messages (3.3.1, 3.3.3): errors are explained in text with a suggestion to fix them.
• Redundant entry (3.3.7, new in 2.2): users don't have to type the same information twice in one process.
• Accessible login (3.3.8, new in 2.2): login doesn't depend on puzzles or memory tests; allow paste and password managers.

4. Robust

• Name, role, value (4.1.2): custom buttons, menus and dialogs have proper names and roles (use native HTML elements where you can).
• Status messages (4.1.3): messages like "Added to cart" are announced to screen readers.

How to test your site

1. Run the free accessibility checker on your main pages.
2. Unplug your mouse and use the site with only a keyboard.
3. Zoom to 200% and check on a phone.
4. Try a screen reader: NVDA (Windows, free), VoiceOver (Mac and iPhone) or TalkBack (Android).
5. Fix issues, then check again.

What's new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 (October 2023) added nine success criteria, including Focus Not Obscured, Dragging Movements, Target Size, Consistent Help, Redundant Entry and Accessible Authentication. It also removed 4.1.1 Parsing. A site that meets 2.2 AA also meets 2.1 AA.