WCAG 2.2 vs 2.1: What Changed in Plain English

WCAG 2.2 is the current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published as a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023. If your site was built against WCAG 2.1, the move to 2.2 is small and specific: nine new success criteria, six of which count at Level AA, and one old criterion removed. Nothing else from 2.1 was rewritten. This guide lists all nine in plain English, so you can see exactly what changed.

A success criterion is one testable rule. WCAG groups rules under four principles. Each rule sits at Level A, AA, or AAA. Level A rules are the floor. Level AA adds the next set, and it is the level most sites aim at. Level AAA is the highest bar and is not expected across a whole site. WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA together hold 55 success criteria: 31 at Level A and 24 at Level AA.

Key takeaways

• WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria to WCAG 2.1 and removes one.
• Six new criteria count at Level AA: 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 2.5.8, 3.2.6, 3.3.7, and 3.3.8.
• Three new criteria sit at Level AAA only: 2.4.12, 2.4.13, and 3.3.9.

The nine new criteria at a glance

• 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Level AA: a focused item must not be fully hidden by a sticky header, banner, or dialog.
• 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), Level AAA: no part of a focused item is hidden.
• 2.4.13 Focus Appearance, Level AAA: the focus indicator is large enough and has enough contrast to see.
• 2.5.7 Dragging Movements, Level AA: anything done by dragging can also be done with a single pointer action.
• 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), Level AA: pointer targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced so they can be hit cleanly.
• 3.2.6 Consistent Help, Level A: a help option repeated across pages sits in the same place on each page.
• 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, Level A: users are not asked to retype information they already gave in the same process.
• 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), Level AA: login does not depend on a memory or puzzle test with no alternative.
• 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced), Level AAA: login uses no cognitive function test at all.

Focus: what 2.4.11, 2.4.12, and 2.4.13 ask for

Focus is the outline or highlight that shows which element the keyboard is on. The most common failure is a sticky header or cookie banner covering the focused link, so a keyboard user tabs to something they cannot see.

Criterion 2.4.11, at Level AA, says the focused component must not be entirely hidden by author created content. Part of it may still be covered, but the user must be able to tell something has focus. Criterion 2.4.12, at Level AAA, goes further: no part of the focused component is hidden at all. Criterion 2.4.13, also Level AAA, sets the look of the indicator itself: it must be at least as large as a 2 CSS pixel thick perimeter around the component, and it must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the same pixels in the unfocused state.

Pointer input: dragging and target size

Criterion 2.5.7, Dragging Movements, at Level AA, says any function that uses a dragging movement must also be doable with a single pointer, such as a tap or click, unless dragging is truly required for the function. A slider that can only be dragged fails. A slider with plus and minus buttons, or a numeric input beside it, passes.

Criterion 2.5.8, Target Size (Minimum), at Level AA, says the target for pointer inputs is at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels. There are five exceptions, and they matter: spacing (an undersized target with enough clear space around it), equivalent (another control on the same page does the same job at full size), inline (a link inside a sentence, sized by line height), user agent control (a browser drawn control the author did not resize), and essential (the presentation itself requires small or dense targets, such as pins on a map). Zoom does not rescue a small target, because CSS pixel size does not change when the user zooms. For the full detail, see the WCAG 2.5.8 target size guide in this series, and the pinch to zoom guide for the related zoom rules.

Help, forms, and login: 3.2.6, 3.3.7, 3.3.8, and 3.3.9

Criterion 3.2.6, Consistent Help, at Level A, applies when a help mechanism, such as a contact link, a help page link, or a chat option, appears on more than one page. It must appear in the same relative order on each page, so a user who found help once can find it again without hunting.

Criterion 3.3.7, Redundant Entry, at Level A, says a user must not be asked to enter the same information twice in one process, unless reentering is required for security or the information is no longer valid. A checkout that asks for an address, then asks for the same address again on the next step with no way to reuse it, fails. Prefilling from the earlier step, or offering a "use the same address" option, passes.

Criterion 3.3.8, Accessible Authentication (Minimum), at Level AA, says a login step must not require a cognitive function test, such as memorizing a password shown earlier, transcribing a code from an image, or solving a puzzle, unless an alternative is offered or help is available. Allowing password managers, offering a magic link or single sign on, and allowing pasting into password fields are common ways to pass. Criterion 3.3.9, at Level AAA, removes the alternative: no cognitive function test at all, even with help offered.

What was removed, and what did not change

WCAG 2.2 removes success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing. The old rule required markup to be complete and well formed so parsers could read it. Browsers and assistive technology now handle imperfect HTML reliably, so the W3C marked the rule obsolete and took it out of 2.2. Removing it does not mean sloppy markup is good practice. Valid, semantic HTML is still the simplest way to get names, roles, and structure right.

How to work through the gap

Start with the six Level A and AA additions, since those are the ones that count at Level AA. In order of how often they bite on small business sites:

• Check target size on mobile menus, footer icon rows, and pagination. Those are the spots where 24 by 24 CSS pixel targets fail most.
• Tab through pages with sticky headers and cookie banners in place, and watch for focus disappearing under them.
• Look for drag only controls, such as image sliders or sortable lists with no button alternative.
• Walk a checkout or multi step form and count how many times it asks for the same information.
• Check that a help link sits in the same spot on every page where it appears.
• Try logging in with a password manager and pasted credentials, and note any step that forces memorization or puzzle solving with no alternative.

How Axeazy helps with this exact issue

Axeazy scans a website for WCAG 2.2 AA problems using axe-core, the same open source engine behind the accessibility panel in Chrome DevTools. Every scan and fix is recorded with a date and time, which gives the owner a dated record of the work. Read how the scan works for the method, and the capabilities page for the honest scope of what the scan covers and what it reports for a human to resolve.

Target size is one example of that split. Axeazy reports target size findings for a human to resolve, since the right fix depends on the design of each control. The scan does not silently resize your buttons. For the wider WCAG picture, start with the HTML lang attribute guide, which covers a 2.1 rule that still applies in 2.2.

Want a quick read on your own site? Run Axeazy's free 60 second scan . It needs no signup.

Last checked: October 30, 2026.

FAQ

Do I need to redo my whole site for WCAG 2.2?

No. WCAG 2.2 keeps every WCAG 2.1 rule except the removed parsing rule, and adds nine. If your site already meets 2.1 AA, the gap is the six new Level A and AA criteria listed in this article.

Which new criteria matter most for a small site?

Target size (2.5.8) and focus not obscured (2.4.11) show up most often, because small footer icons and sticky headers are common. Dragging alternatives (2.5.7) matter if your site has sliders or sortable lists.

Is Level AAA required?

No. AAA is the highest bar and is not expected across a whole site. The three AAA additions in 2.2 (2.4.12, 2.4.13, 3.3.9) are optional unless you target AAA for a specific reason.

What happened to 4.1.1 Parsing?

The W3C marked it obsolete and removed it from WCAG 2.2, because browsers and assistive technology now parse imperfect HTML reliably. Writing valid HTML is still good practice, since it is how names, roles, and structure reach assistive technology.

Sources

• W3C Understanding Success Criterion 2.5.8: Target Size (Minimum), checked October 30, 2026
• W3C Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context), checked October 30, 2026
• W3C Understanding Success Criterion 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value, checked October 30, 2026
• Axeazy methodology, checked October 30, 2026
• Axeazy capabilities, checked October 30, 2026