The Standard
WCAG 2.2 AA,
explained in plain English
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the benchmark courts, the DOJ, and plaintiffs' experts use to judge whether a website discriminates. Here's what Level AA actually asks of your site — without the standards-body jargon.
The four POUR principles
Every WCAG requirement hangs off four principles: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
Perceivable
Everyone must be able to take in your content. Images need text alternatives, videos need captions, text needs sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 for body text at AA), and content can't rely on color alone to convey meaning.
Operable
Everyone must be able to use your interface. Everything works with a keyboard alone, focus is always visible and never trapped, touch targets are big enough (24×24px minimum in 2.2), and nothing flashes at seizure-inducing rates.
Understandable
Content and controls must behave predictably. The page declares its language, navigation stays consistent across pages, form fields have clear labels, and errors are identified in text with suggestions to fix them.
Robust
Your markup must work with assistive technology. Custom controls expose a proper name, role, and value through ARIA so screen readers can announce what a thing is and what state it's in.
Deeper dives: the POUR principles · what Level AA means · contrast requirements
New in WCAG 2.2
Published October 2023, WCAG 2.2 added nine success criteria. These six apply at A/AA — the level your site is judged against:
Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)
Level AAKeyboard focus can't be completely hidden behind sticky headers, cookie banners, or chat bubbles.
Dragging Movements
Level AAAnything you can drag (sliders, sortable lists, maps) needs a single-pointer alternative — click, don't drag.
Target Size (Minimum)
Level AATouch targets need to be at least 24×24 CSS pixels, or have equivalent spacing around them.
Consistent Help
Level AHelp mechanisms (contact link, chat, phone) must appear in the same place on every page that has them.
Redundant Entry
Level ADon't make people re-type information they already gave you in the same process.
Accessible Authentication (Minimum)
Level AALogins can't require a cognitive test — no transcribing puzzles or memorizing; allow paste and password managers.
Version history in depth: WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2 vs 3.0
WCAG 2.2 AA FAQ
Is WCAG 2.2 AA legally required for my website?
WCAG itself is a technical standard, not a law — but it's the benchmark the legal system uses. The DOJ's Title II rule adopts WCAG 2.1 AA for state and local government sites, DOJ settlements with private businesses reference WCAG, and plaintiffs' experts test against it. Meeting the current version (2.2 AA) is the defensible position.
What's the difference between Level A, AA, and AAA?
Levels are cumulative tiers of strictness. Level A is the floor (e.g., images need alt text). Level AA adds the requirements courts and regulators actually cite — contrast ratios, visible focus, consistent navigation — and is the universal compliance target. AAA is aspirational (e.g., 7:1 contrast) and not expected of general websites.
What did WCAG 2.2 add over 2.1?
Nine success criteria, six of them at A/AA: visible focus must not be hidden behind sticky headers (2.4.11), drag actions need a click alternative (2.5.7), touch targets need minimum size or spacing (2.5.8), help has to appear in a consistent place (3.2.6), forms can't make you re-enter what you already provided (3.3.7), and logins can't depend on puzzles or memorization (3.3.8). It also retired the old parsing rule (4.1.1).
Can an automated scan certify me as WCAG 2.2 AA compliant?
No — and be suspicious of anyone who says otherwise. Automated rules verify roughly a third of the standard reliably. Our scans grade what automation can verify (and say so explicitly); criteria like meaningful alt text, captions quality, and real screen-reader usability require human testing. That's why our reports separate scored failures from expert-review items.
Where do I start if my site fails?
Run the free audit. Most sites' failure counts collapse into a handful of root causes — one low-contrast color token, one unlabeled template component — so the fix list is far shorter than the finding count. The report includes a prioritized fix list and a free remediation estimate.
Want to know exactly where your site stands against WCAG 2.2 AA?
Run the Free Audit