WCAG 2.2 Checklist: Every Success Criterion Explained
Tags: Accessibility
Published: March 2025 | 15 min read
WCAG 2.2 was published by the W3C in October 2023. It supersedes WCAG 2.1 and adds nine new success criteria. For Australian government, WCAG 2.2 AA is the current standard referenced by the Digital Service Standard. For enterprise, it is increasingly a contractual and legal requirement.
This checklist covers every Level A and Level AA success criterion. Level AAA criteria are not included as they are not required for general conformance. New criteria added in WCAG 2.2 are marked NEW 2.2.
1. Perceivable
1.1 Text Alternatives
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 | Non-text Content | A | All non-text content has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose. |
1.2 Time-based Media
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2.1 | Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | A | Prerecorded audio-only and video-only content has an alternative. |
| 1.2.2 | Captions (Prerecorded) | A | Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronised media. |
| 1.2.3 | Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) | A | An alternative for time-based media or audio description is provided for prerecorded video content. |
| 1.2.4 | Captions (Live) | AA | Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronised media. |
| 1.2.5 | Audio Description (Prerecorded) | AA | Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronised media. |
1.3 Adaptable
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3.1 | Info and Relationships | A | Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined. |
| 1.3.2 | Meaningful Sequence | A | When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined. |
| 1.3.3 | Sensory Characteristics | A | Instructions do not rely solely on sensory characteristics such as shape, colour, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. |
| 1.3.4 | Orientation | AA | Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation. |
| 1.3.5 | Identify Input Purpose | AA | The purpose of each input field that collects information about the user can be programmatically determined. |
1.4 Distinguishable
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4.1 | Use of Colour | A | Colour is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. |
| 1.4.2 | Audio Control | A | If any audio plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, a mechanism is available to pause or stop it. |
| 1.4.3 | Contrast (Minimum) | AA | Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). |
| 1.4.4 | Resize Text | AA | Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. |
| 1.4.5 | Images of Text | AA | If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text. |
| 1.4.10 | Reflow | AA | Content can be presented without loss of information or functionality and without requiring scrolling in two dimensions at 320px width. |
| 1.4.11 | Non-text Contrast | AA | The visual presentation of UI components and graphical objects has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colours. |
| 1.4.12 | Text Spacing | AA | No loss of content or functionality occurs when users override text spacing properties. |
| 1.4.13 | Content on Hover or Focus | AA | Where receiving and then removing pointer hover or keyboard focus triggers additional content, that content is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. |
2. Operable
2.1 Keyboard Accessible
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1.1 | Keyboard | A | All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. |
| 2.1.2 | No Keyboard Trap | A | If keyboard focus can be moved to a component using a keyboard interface, focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface. |
| 2.1.4 | Character Key Shortcuts | A | If a keyboard shortcut is implemented using only letter, punctuation, number, or symbol characters, the user can turn it off, remap it, or it is only active on focus. |
2.2 Enough Time
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2.1 | Timing Adjustable | A | For each time limit set by the content, the user can turn off, adjust, or extend the time limit. |
| 2.2.2 | Pause, Stop, Hide | A | For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, the user can pause, stop, or hide it. |
2.3 Seizures and Physical Reactions
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3.1 | Three Flashes or Below Threshold | A | Content does not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one-second period. |
2.4 Navigable
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4.1 | Bypass Blocks | A | A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple pages. |
| 2.4.2 | Page Titled | A | Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose. |
| 2.4.3 | Focus Order | A | If a page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability. |
| 2.4.4 | Link Purpose (In Context) | A | The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context. |
| 2.4.5 | Multiple Ways | AA | More than one way is available to locate a page within a set of pages except where the page is the result of, or a step in, a process. |
| 2.4.6 | Headings and Labels | AA | Headings and labels describe topic or purpose. |
| 2.4.7 | Focus Visible | AA | Any keyboard operable user interface has a mode of operation where the keyboard focus indicator is visible. |
| 2.4.11 | Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the component is not entirely hidden due to author-created content. NEW 2.2 |
2.5 Input Modalities
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5.1 | Pointer Gestures | A | All functionality that uses multipoint or path-based gestures for operation can be operated with a single pointer without a path-based gesture. |
| 2.5.2 | Pointer Cancellation | A | For functionality that can be operated using a single pointer, at least one of the following is true: No Down-Event, Abort or Undo, Up Reversal, or Essential. |
| 2.5.3 | Label in Name | A | For user interface components with labels that include text or images of text, the name contains the text that is presented visually. |
| 2.5.4 | Motion Actuation | A | Functionality that can be operated by device motion or user motion can also be operated by user interface components and responding to the motion can be disabled. |
| 2.5.7 | Dragging Movements | AA | All functionality that uses a dragging movement for operation can be achieved by a single pointer without dragging. NEW 2.2 |
| 2.5.8 | Target Size (Minimum) | AA | The size of the target for pointer inputs is at least 24×24 CSS pixels, except where the target is in a sentence or its size is otherwise constrained. NEW 2.2 |
3. Understandable
3.1 Readable
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1.1 | Language of Page | A | The default human language of each page can be programmatically determined. |
| 3.1.2 | Language of Parts | AA | The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined. |
3.2 Predictable
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2.1 | On Focus | A | If any component receives focus, it does not initiate a change of context. |
| 3.2.2 | On Input | A | Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behaviour before using the component. |
| 3.2.3 | Consistent Navigation | AA | Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple pages occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated. |
| 3.2.4 | Consistent Identification | AA | Components that have the same functionality within a set of pages are identified consistently. |
| 3.2.6 | Consistent Help | A | If a help mechanism is provided, it occurs in the same relative order on each page. NEW 2.2 |
3.3 Input Assistance
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3.1 | Error Identification | A | If an input error is automatically detected, the item that is in error is identified and the error is described to the user in text. |
| 3.3.2 | Labels or Instructions | A | Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. |
| 3.3.3 | Error Suggestion | AA | If an input error is automatically detected and suggestions for correction are known, then the suggestion is provided to the user. |
| 3.3.4 | Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) | AA | For pages that cause legal commitments or financial transactions, submissions are reversible, checked, or confirmed. |
| 3.3.7 | Redundant Entry | A | Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process is auto-populated or available for the user to select. NEW 2.2 |
| 3.3.8 | Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | A cognitive function test is not required for any step in an authentication process unless an alternative is provided. NEW 2.2 |
4. Robust
4.1 Compatible
| SC | Title | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1.1 | Parsing | A | In content implemented using markup languages, elements have complete start and end tags, are nested according to their specifications, do not contain duplicate attributes, and any IDs are unique. |
| 4.1.2 | Name, Role, Value | A | For all user interface components, the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set. |
| 4.1.3 | Status Messages | AA | In content implemented using markup languages, status messages can be programmatically determined through role or properties such that they can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus. |
What's New in WCAG 2.2
WCAG 2.2 added nine new success criteria and removed one (4.1.1 Parsing, which was deprecated). The nine new criteria are:
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — Level AA
When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the component is not entirely hidden due to author-created content.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements — Level AA
All functionality that uses a dragging movement for operation can be achieved by a single pointer without dragging.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — Level AA
The size of the target for pointer inputs is at least 24×24 CSS pixels, except where the target is in a sentence or its size is otherwise constrained.
3.2.6 Consistent Help — Level A
If a help mechanism is provided, it occurs in the same relative order on each page.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry — Level A
Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process is auto-populated or available for the user to select.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) — Level AA
A cognitive function test is not required for any step in an authentication process unless an alternative is provided.
The Doghouse View
WCAG 2.2 AA is not a ceiling. It is a floor. Teams that treat it as a compliance exercise tend to build platforms that are technically conformant but still difficult to use for people with disabilities. The goal is genuine usability, not a passing audit score.
The most impactful accessibility improvements are usually not technical. They are content decisions: clear language, logical structure, meaningful headings, and form labels that actually describe what you need. Get those right and the technical criteria follow naturally.
If you are running an accessibility audit or building a new platform to WCAG 2.2 AA, Doghouse can help. We have delivered WCAG 2.2 AA conformant platforms for Australian government and enterprise, and we test with real assistive technology, not just automated tools.