Short answer: WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria to WCAG 2.1 and removes 4.1.1 Parsing. Six of the new criteria are at Levels A and AA. They cover focus hidden by sticky content, dragging, small tap targets, help that moves between pages, repeated form entries and puzzles at sign-in.
What changed from WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.2 keeps every criterion of 2.1 unchanged, except 4.1.1 Parsing, which W3C removed as obsolete. Then it adds nine new ones.
| Criterion | Level | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | A focused item is never entirely hidden by content the site added |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | AA | Anything done by dragging can also be done with a single pointer, unless dragging is essential |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | AA | Targets of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or enough space around them |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | A | Help repeated across pages appears in the same order relative to the rest of the page |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | A | Information already given in a process is filled in or offered again |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | No memory test or puzzle at sign-in without an alternative or help |
From W3C’s What’s New in WCAG 2.2 and its Understanding pages, read November 4, 2026.
The other three new criteria are at Level AAA: a focused item fully visible, a stronger focus indicator and sign-in with no memory test at all.
Which version to follow
W3C keeps all three versions as standards, but encourages using the latest one. WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 are backwards compatible, so content that meets 2.2 also meets 2.1 and 2.0. If you work from 2.2, you don’t need to check the earlier versions.
Our ADA compliance guide covers how WCAG fits US accessibility law, and our accessibility statement guide covers saying which version you meet.
Where sites usually fall short
Sticky headers, cookie banners and chat buttons can cover the item that has keyboard focus. W3C says a cookie banner fails 2.4.11 if it hides a focused item entirely, and suggests making the banner modal or adding scroll padding.
Small links and buttons are the next trap. A target under 24 by 24 pixels still passes if a 24 pixel circle around it touches no other target. It also passes inside a sentence, or when another control does the same job.
Help has to stay put. If your pages repeat contact details, a contact form, a help page or a chat, they should appear in the same order on each. At sign-in, letting password managers fill the fields and allowing copy and paste are W3C’s own examples of help that satisfies 3.3.8.
How to check your site against WCAG 2.2
- Tab through each page type and watch that the focused item never disappears behind sticky content.
- List anything that works by dragging and give it a click or tap alternative.
- Measure small buttons and links, and check the 24 pixel rule or the space around them.
- Keep contact links, chat and help in the same order on every page.
- In forms with several steps, fill in or offer what people already entered.
- At sign-in, let password managers fill the fields and allow pasting.
- Update your accessibility statement to the version you meet.
Our keyboard navigation guide covers testing focus without a mouse.
How our own site does against WCAG 2.2
On November 4, 2026, we checked our own site against the six new criteria at Levels A and AA, in a browser at a desktop width and a phone width.
Tabbing through 5 pages, no focused item was ever fully hidden by our sticky header, cookie notice or chat button. Our help links come in the same order on every page: WhatsApp and the contact form in the header, then the email address, WhatsApp and the contact form in the footer.
Nothing on our pages works only by dragging, our booking form asks for each detail once, and visitors never sign in.
Target size found one gap. On phones, the cookie notice’s “Preferences” link was 17 pixels tall and too close to its neighbors. We enlarged its tap area the same day without changing how it looks, and our check now finds no failing target on 6 pages at either width.
Before you claim WCAG 2.2
- A focused item is never fully hidden.
- Nothing works only by dragging.
- Targets are 24 pixels or have room around them.
- Help appears in the same order on every page.
- Multi-step forms never ask for the same thing twice.
- Sign-in works with password managers and pasting.
RememberWCAG 2.2 keeps everything in 2.1 and adds six checks at A and AA. Most of them catch sticky layers, tiny links and forms that make people repeat themselves.
Accessible websites built to WCAG 2.2 are part of our web design service.
Quick answers about WCAG 2.2
What is new in WCAG 2.2?
Nine success criteria. Six are at Levels A and AA: focus not obscured, dragging movements, target size, consistent help, redundant entry and accessible authentication. Three are at Level AAA, and 4.1.1 Parsing was removed.
Does WCAG 2.2 replace WCAG 2.1?
No. W3C says WCAG 2.2 doesn’t deprecate or supersede 2.1, and all three versions remain existing standards. It still encourages using the latest one, because content that meets 2.2 also meets 2.1 and 2.0.
Do I have to check everything again for WCAG 2.2?
No. The 2.1 success criteria are unchanged in 2.2, apart from the removed Parsing criterion. Check the six new criteria at Levels A and AA, and the three at AAA if you aim for that level.
What is the minimum target size in WCAG 2.2?
24 by 24 CSS pixels, at Level AA. A smaller target still passes if a 24 pixel circle around it touches no other target. Targets inside a sentence, or with another control on the page that does the same job, pass too. So do browser default controls and sizes that are essential to the information.
What does focus not obscured mean?
When something gets keyboard focus, content the site added, such as a sticky header or a cookie banner, must not hide it entirely. At Level AA, partly visible is enough; Level AAA asks for the whole element.
Sources
Read on November 4, 2026. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: WCAG 2 Overview and What’s New in WCAG 2.2. From the same site: Understanding SC 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA), Understanding SC 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA) and Understanding SC 3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A). Our case: our own pages, checked in a browser on November 4, 2026.