Overview
In October 2023 the new Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 was published and it became part of the legal requirement in October 2024. The new success criteria are designed to improve the experience of three major groups: users with cognitive or learning disabilities, users with low vision, and users with disabilities on mobile devices. For more information on the guidelines please visit our Accessibility overview page.
9 new success criteria were added, and one was removed. These new success criteria guidelines have been added to the “operable” and “understandable” principles.
Principle 2: Operable
- 2.4.11 Focus not obscured (minimum) (AA) – Making sure the highlighted item on the screen is not hidden so people always know where they are.
- 2.4.12 Focus not obscured (enhanced) (AAA) – Making sure the highlighted item is always fully visible, not even slightly covered.
- 2.4.13 Focus appearance (AAA) – Making the highlight around the selected item clear and easy to see.
- 2.5.7 Dragging movements (AA) – Not forcing people to drag things on the screen, giving them a simple tap or click option instead.
- 2.5.8 Target size (minimum) (AA) – Making buttons and links big enough so they are easy to tap or click.
Principle 3: Understandable
- 3.2.6 Consistent help (A) – Putting help or support options in the same place on every page.
- 3.3.7 Redundant entry (A) – Not making your customer enter the same information more than once.
- 3.3.8 (AA) and 3.3.9 (AAA) Accessible authentication – Letting people log in without needing to solve puzzles or tricky tasks that rely on memory.
The removed criterion was “4.1.1 Parsing” in Principle 4: Robust. Recent advances in what browsers and assistive technology can do has rendered this criteria obsolete. The problems this criteria would flag up either no longer exist, or are captured within other guidelines.
Principle 2 Operable. Criteria 4.11 and 4.12 Focus not obscured
4.11 Level AA
When someone is using a keyboard or assistive technology to move around a page, the element they are currently focused on must not be completely hidden by anything else on the screen.
4.12 Level AAA
When someone focuses on an item using a keyboard, no part of that item should be hidden at all – it must be fully visible.
Notes
- This rule only applies to how the page is originally designed. If a user moves things themselves, for example by dragging panels or changing layout, that does not count as a failure.
- A pop‑up or element sitting on top of the page can still pass this rule if the user is only able to focus on that top element until it is closed. For example:
- opening a navigation menu
- a cookie banner that must be accepted or declined before anything else
Understanding these rules
These rules are about stopping important parts of the page from being covered up when someone navigates with a keyboard or assistive technology.
A common example is a cookie banner placed over the bottom of the page. If the banner covers a button or link, a keyboard user might move focus to that hidden item, but not be able to see it. This creates confusion, slows the user down, and may trap them if they cannot dismiss the banner easily.
Other at risk elements include:
- “sticky” headers and footers (that follow you down the page as you scroll)
- floating chat windows
- pop‑ups
All of these can accidentally hide the focused item. Designers and developers need to make sure these elements don’t cover anything that a user can move focus to. Good markup and testing help ensure everything remains visible and accessible.
Principle 2 Operable. Criteria 4.13 Focus appearance
4.13 Level AAA
When someone uses a keyboard to move around a page, the visual highlight (know as the “focus indicator”) that shows them where they are must be:
- big enough to clearly stand out — at least as large as a 2‑pixel outline around the unfocused item
- different enough in colour from the normal (unfocused) state so it is easy to see, with a minimum contrast of 3:1
Exceptions
This rule does not apply if the user’s own device or software controls how the focus indicator looks, and the website cannot change it.
Understanding this rule
This new AAA rule raises the bar for how visible the keyboard focus highlight must be. It is designed to help anyone who relies on keyboard navigation by making the focused item very easy to spot.
In simple terms, the focus highlight needs to be big, clear, and high‑contrast. This change is all about ensuring that keyboard users can instantly see where they are on the page, especially people with low vision or who use screen magnifiers.
Principle 2 Operable. Criteria 5.7 Dragging movements
5.7 Level AA
Any feature that normally requires dragging (clicking and pulling something across the screen) must also be possible to do with a simple single click or tap.
Exceptions
This rule does not apply if dragging is absolutely essential to how the feature works, or if the browser/device controls the behaviour and the website cannot change it.
Understanding this rule
This rule is designed to help people who cannot perform dragging gestures – for example, users with motor impairments, tremors, or those using assistive technology.
It means you must offer an alternative to dragging. For example, if users can rearrange items on a list by dragging them, you should also provide simple buttons like up and down arrows so they can move the items with one click instead.
Dragging interactions do not appear very often on our websites, but they might exist in third-party systems that users interact with as part of a service. It is important to check any component that involves moving or rearranging items and make sure there is an easier, non‑drag option available.
Principle 2 Operable. Criteria 5.8 Target Size
5.8 Level AA
Clickable or tappable areas (known as “targets”) must be at least 24×24 pixels in size. This helps people to be able to tap or click accurately, especially on mobile devices.
There are a few exceptions where smaller targets are allowed:
- Spacing: Small targets are acceptable if there is enough empty space around them so that a 24‑pixel circle around each target would not overlap any other target
- Equivalent control: If there is another button or link on the same page that performs the same action and that alternative meets the size requirement
- Inline text: If the target is part of a sentence (for example, a link inside a paragraph of text), and the text line height naturally limits its size
- User‑agent control: If the browser or device decides the size, and the website cannot change it
- Essential: If a smaller target is required for legal or design reasons and cannot be changed
Notes
Tools like sliders, colour pickers, and similar widgets count as one single target, even though they may visually contain several parts.
Understanding this rule
This rule sets a minimum target size of 24×24 pixels for Level AA. A stricter version exists at Level AAA, where the minimum size increases to 44×44 pixels.
The idea is simple: If you drew a circle at least 24 pixels wide around the clickable area, it should not overlap the circle around the next clickable item. This requirement exists to help people avoid accidental taps or clicks, especially on small screens.
It improves accuracy for everyone, but it’s particularly important for users with:
- limited dexterity
- mobility impairments
- tremors
- touch‑screen devices (phones, tablets)
In simple terms, it makes interactive elements big enough to hit comfortably without hitting something else by mistake.
Principle 3 Understandable. Criteria 2.6 Consistent help
2.6 Level A
If a web page includes any kind of help option – such as contact details, a way to reach a real person, a self‑help tool, or an automated help system – and this help appears on more than one page, it must always appear in the same place on each page.
This stays the same unless the user chooses to change the placement, for example by expanding or moving a help panel.
Notes
Help options can be shown directly on the page, or provided through a clear link that takes the user to a separate help page. Either is acceptable, as long as the help option is consistently placed.
Understanding this rule
This rule is about making help easy to find quickly, especially for people who need support to complete tasks.
If help options jump around the page from one screen to the next, users may struggle to locate them. For example, if “Contact us” appears at the bottom left on one page but moves to the bottom right on another, the page fails this rule.
Keeping help in a consistent visual position means users always know exactly where to look when they need assistance. This is particularly helpful for people with cognitive disabilities, low digital confidence, or anyone feeling stressed while trying to complete a task.
Principle 3 Understandable. Criteria 3.7 Redundant entry
3.7 Level A
If a user has already given information earlier in the same process, they should not have to type it in again. Instead, the information should be:
- automatically filled in
- offered as something the user can select, so they do not have to repeat themselves
Exceptions
There are a few situations where asking again is allowed, for example when:
- the information is needed again for security reasons
- the previously entered information has become out of date
Understanding this rule
This rule is simply about not making users repeat the same details when completing a task. For example, if you ask for a delivery address and then for a billing address, you should give the user an option like “Use my delivery address” or automatically copy the information for them. This saves time, reduces frustration, and helps users who may struggle with memory, motor skills, or typing.
Principle 3 Understandable. Criteria 3.8 and 3.9 Accessible authentication
3.8 Level AA
Users should not be required to complete memory‑based or puzzle‑type tasks – such as remembering a password, solving a riddle, or typing characters from an image – to log in or prove who they are, unless at least one of the following alternatives is available:
- another login option that does not rely on memory or solving a puzzle (for example, a sign‑in link sent to email or phone)
- a built‑in tool that helps users complete the task (such as allowing a password manager to fill in the password)
- object recognition tests, where the user just picks familiar objects
- personal content recognition, where the user identifies something they previously uploaded
3.9 Level AAA
This stricter version of the rule removes the last two exceptions. This means:
- no memory tasks
- no puzzles
- no object‑recognition tests
- not asking the user to “pick something you uploaded before”
Only fully accessible, low‑effort authentication options are allowed.
Notes
“Object recognition” or “personal content” could involve images, audio, or video, not just text.
Understanding this rule
These rules exist because many people struggle with traditional login challenges – especially tasks that rely on memory, problem‑solving, or interpreting distorted text or images. These barriers are especially hard for people with cognitive disabilities, dyslexia, memory challenges, vision impairments, or anyone using assistive technology.
The goal is simple: Users should be able to log in without needing to think hard, guess, solve puzzles, or switch to another device.
Examples of more accessible alternatives include:
- letting users log in with a magic link sent to email or phone
- allowing password managers to fill in passwords
- offering biometric login (face ID, fingerprint)
- providing easy, device‑friendly authentication that doesn’t require mental effort
This reduces frustration, removes unnecessary barriers, and makes services easier to use for everyone.