WCAG 2.2, published by the W3C on October 5, 2023, adds nine success criteria to WCAG 2.1 and retires one, 4.1.1 Parsing. Six of the new criteria sit at Level A or AA, which takes the criteria required for Level AA conformance from 50 to 55. The ADA Title II rule and the HHS Section 504 rule name WCAG 2.1 AA, the Revised Section 508 Standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 AA, and Europe’s EN 301 549 points at WCAG 2.1 AA in the version currently cited in the EU Official Journal and at WCAG 2.2 in the version ETSI published on September 2, 2026. Enterprise procurement increasingly asks for 2.2. Because 2.2 contains everything in 2.1 except the retired criterion, testing against 2.2 AA answers all of them.
Key Takeaway
If you are choosing a version to test against, choose 2.2 AA. It contains 2.1 AA, and a conformance report against 2.2 can be read by a reviewer who asked for 2.1 or 2.0. The reverse is not true.
What WCAG 2.2 Added
Nine criteria, listed in the W3C’s What’s New in WCAG 2.2. Six are at Level A or AA and therefore appear in a conformance report; three are Level AAA and do not.
| Criterion | Level | What It Asks |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | A focused element is not entirely hidden behind other content, such as a sticky header, a cookie banner or an open dialog. |
| 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) | AAA | No part of the focused element is hidden. |
| 2.4.13 Focus Appearance | AAA | The focus indicator has a minimum size and contrast. |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | AA | Anything done by dragging can also be done with a single pointer action without dragging. |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | AA | Pointer targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions for spacing, inline links and essential cases. |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | A | Help mechanisms that repeat across pages appear in the same relative place. |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | A | Information a user already entered in a process is auto-populated or available to select, rather than asked for again. |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | Logging in does not require a cognitive function test, such as memorizing or transcribing, unless an alternative or assistance is available. |
| 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) | AAA | The same, with fewer exceptions. |
What Was Removed
One criterion, 4.1.1 Parsing, was marked obsolete and removed in 2.2. It asked that markup be well formed, which modern browsers and assistive technologies handle before a user sees the page. The W3C’s guidance now treats it as always satisfied for content using HTML or XML, so a report against 2.2 leaves nothing a 2.1 reviewer needs unanswered.
Counting the Criteria
| Version | Level A | Level AA | A and AA Together |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.0 (2008) | 25 | 13 | 38 |
| WCAG 2.1 (2018) | 30 | 20 | 50 |
| WCAG 2.2 (2023) | 31 | 24 | 55 |
Which Version Each Rule Names
| Requirement | Version Named | Level |
|---|---|---|
| ADA Title II web rule (DOJ, 2024) | WCAG 2.1 | AA |
| Section 504 web rule (HHS, 2024) | WCAG 2.1 | AA |
| Section 508 (Revised Standards, 2017) | WCAG 2.0, incorporated by reference | AA |
| EN 301 549 (the European ICT accessibility standard) | WCAG 2.1 in V3.2.1 (2021), the version cited in the EU Official Journal. WCAG 2.2 in V4.1.1, published September 2, 2026 and not yet cited. | AA |
| Enterprise procurement questionnaires | Commonly 2.1 or 2.2 | AA |
Every version named above is contained in WCAG 2.2, so a product evaluated against 2.2 AA has an answer for each of these buyers. A product evaluated against 2.0 does not have an answer for a Title II buyer, because twelve of the criteria the rule names were never tested. Europe is moving the same way: EN 301 549 V4.1.1, published by ETSI on September 2, 2026, rewrites its web, document and software requirements around WCAG 2.2, and the 2021 version built on WCAG 2.1 stays the cited reference only until the new one is listed in the Official Journal. The same standard is what conformance work for the European Accessibility Act is documented against.
Which Version You Should Test Against
WCAG 2.2 Level AA. The six new A and AA criteria fall on exactly the parts of a modern web app that fail most often, which is why they were added: sticky headers that hide the focused control, drag-and-drop with no keyboard or click alternative, tap targets crowded below 24 pixels, and login flows that demand a code be retyped from another device. Testing to 2.1 leaves those untested and buys nothing in return, since a 2.2 report satisfies every reader a 2.1 report does. The current VPAT template, version 2.5, reports against 2.2 directly.
Harbor tests every engagement against all 55 WCAG 2.2 A and AA criteria and reports in the VPAT 2.5 INT edition, which answers a WCAG, a Section 508 and an EN 301 549 request from one document. If a federal buyer asks under Section 508, the same evaluation is performed under the DHS Trusted Tester methodology.
Common Questions
- Is WCAG 2.2 backward compatible with WCAG 2.1?
- Yes. Content that conforms to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to 2.1 and 2.0, because 2.2 keeps every earlier criterion except 4.1.1 Parsing, which the W3C now treats as always satisfied for content using HTML or XML.
- Do I need WCAG 2.2 for ADA compliance?
- The DOJ Title II rule names WCAG 2.1 AA, and Title III has no regulation naming a version. Testing to 2.2 AA satisfies a 2.1 AA requirement and adds six criteria a reviewer may ask about next, so it is the practical choice for a new audit.
- How many success criteria are in WCAG 2.2 Level AA?
- 55 are required for Level AA conformance: 31 at Level A and 24 at Level AA. WCAG 2.1 requires 50 and WCAG 2.0 requires 38.
- What is the biggest change in WCAG 2.2 for a web app?
- For most products it is the four new Level AA criteria: focus not obscured by sticky headers or dialogs, a single-pointer alternative to dragging, targets of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, and authentication without a memory or transcription test. Login flows and drag-to-reorder interfaces are where audits find the new failures.
- Does WCAG 2.2 replace WCAG 2.1?
- WCAG 2.2 is the current W3C Recommendation, and 2.1 remains a Recommendation that regulations still cite. Nothing in 2.1 is contradicted by 2.2, so a new audit should test to 2.2 AA: it satisfies a 2.1 requirement and covers the six newer criteria. Harbor tests every engagement to WCAG 2.2 AA and reports in the VPAT 2.5 INT edition, so one document answers a WCAG, Section 508 or EN 301 549 request.