WCAG 2.2: What's New and How to Comply in 2026
WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023, adding 9 new success criteria to the existing WCAG 2.1 guidelines. These new criteria focus on improving the experience for users with cognitive disabilities, users with low vision, and users with motor disabilities. Here's what you need to know and how to comply.
Key Themes in WCAG 2.2
The 9 new success criteria cluster around three main themes: better keyboard focus visibility (so users can always see where they are on the page), alternatives to complex interactions (so users don't need fine motor control), and reducing cognitive load (so users don't need to remember or re-enter information).
The 9 New Success Criteria
When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the component is not entirely hidden due to author-created content. This means sticky headers, cookie banners, or chat widgets shouldn't completely cover the focused element.
The stricter version: when a component receives focus, no part of it should be hidden by author-created content. This ensures complete visibility of focused elements.
Focus indicators must have sufficient size and contrast. The focus indicator area must be at least as large as a 2 CSS pixel thick perimeter of the unfocused component, with a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between focused and unfocused states.
Any functionality that uses a dragging movement (like drag-and-drop) must also be achievable with a single pointer without dragging. This helps users with motor disabilities who can't perform drag operations.
Interactive targets must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels, unless the target is inline (within a sentence), the user agent controls the size, the size is essential, or an equivalent target of sufficient size exists nearby.
If a web page contains help mechanisms (contact info, self-help options, human contact), these must be in a consistent location across multiple pages. Users shouldn't have to hunt for help on each page.
Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required in the same process should be auto-populated or selectable. Users shouldn't have to re-enter the same data within a multi-step process.
Cognitive function tests (like remembering a password or solving a puzzle) must not be required for any step in an authentication process, unless an alternative method is available. This means supporting password managers, passkeys, or copy-paste for verification codes.
The stricter version: no cognitive function test is required at all, even object recognition or personal content identification. Authentication should be fully accessible without any memory or cognitive burden.
What This Means for Your Website
If you're already WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, the jump to 2.2 AA is relatively small — you need to address 4 new AA-level criteria: Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), and Accessible Authentication (Minimum).
The most impactful change for most websites is the Target Size (Minimum) requirement. Many sites have buttons, links, and interactive elements smaller than 24x24px, especially on mobile. Audit your site's touch targets and increase sizes where needed.
The Accessible Authentication criterion is also significant. If your login requires users to remember passwords without support for password managers or copy-paste, you'll need to update your authentication flow. Supporting passkeys, magic links, or OAuth login satisfies this requirement.
How to Test for WCAG 2.2
Our WCAG Checker supports WCAG 2.2 AA scanning using axe-core, which has rules for the new criteria. Select "WCAG 2.2 AA" in the scan options to check your site against the latest standard. Keep in mind that some WCAG 2.2 criteria (like Focus Not Obscured) require manual testing in addition to automated scanning.