2.4.11
AAFocus Not Obscured (Minimum)
Keyboard focus can't be completely hidden behind sticky headers, cookie banners, or chat overlays.
WCAG version comparison
WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2: what actually changed
Nine success criteria added, one removed, full backwards compatibility — here’s the practical difference between the two versions, what laws require today, and how to close the gap.
Want every criterion in one place? See the full WCAG 2.2 checklist & quick reference.
- Side-by-side comparison
- Migration steps
- Free WCAG scan
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9
Success criteria added in 2.2
1
Criterion removed (4.1.1 Parsing)
6
New A/AA criteria to act on
The short answer
WCAG 2.2 is WCAG 2.1, plus nine criteria, minus one
No requirement you met under 2.1 AA becomes invalid — the update only adds.
WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, is an incremental update to WCAG 2.1 from 2018 — not a rewrite. It keeps the same four principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust), the same numbering, and the same three conformance levels. Every success criterion from 2.1 carries over unchanged, with one exception: 4.1.1 Parsing was removed because modern browsers made it obsolete.
The nine additions focus on problems that grew since 2018: sticky headers hiding keyboard focus, tiny touch targets, drag-only interactions, repetitive form entry, and logins that lock out people with cognitive disabilities. Six of the nine sit at Level A or AA — those are the ones that affect the conformance target most organisations aim for.
Because 2.2 AA fully contains 2.1 AA, the safe strategy is simple: build and test against 2.2. You satisfy today’s legal references to 2.1 automatically. Get your baseline with a free WCAG scan — no login required.
Side by side
WCAG 2.1 vs WCAG 2.2 at a glance
The headline differences between the two versions.
WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.2
Published
June 2018
October 2023
Total success criteria
78 (30 A / 20 AA / 28 AAA)
86 (31 A / 24 AA / 31 AAA)
Criteria to meet for AA
50 (Level A + AA)
55 (Level A + AA)
4.1.1 Parsing
Required (Level A)
Removed as obsolete
Referenced by laws today
ADA (DOJ guidance), EAA via EN 301 549
Not yet — but meeting it covers 2.1
Backwards compatible
—
Yes: 2.2 AA includes all of 2.1 AA
What's new
The six new Level A and AA criteria
These are the additions that affect a standard AA conformance target. Three more were added at Level AAA: Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), Focus Appearance, and Accessible Authentication (Enhanced).
2.5.7
AADragging Movements
Sliders, sortable lists, and map panning need a single-pointer alternative like buttons or taps.
2.5.8
AATarget Size (Minimum)
Clickable targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels, or spaced far enough apart to avoid mis-taps.
3.2.6
AConsistent Help
Help options — contact details, chat, FAQs — appear in the same relative place on every page.
3.3.7
ARedundant Entry
Users never re-type information they already entered in the same process — auto-fill it or make it selectable.
3.3.8
AAAccessible Authentication (Minimum)
Logins can't require memorising codes or solving puzzles — allow paste and password managers.
Each of these is broken down alongside every 2.1 criterion in the full WCAG 2.2 checklist.
The removal
Why 4.1.1 Parsing disappeared
4.1.1 required well-formed markup — no duplicate IDs, proper nesting, complete tags — because early screen readers parsed HTML themselves and could crash on broken code. Today, browsers repair malformed HTML consistently before assistive technology ever touches it, so the criterion stopped reflecting real user barriers. WCAG 2.2 removes it entirely, and W3C guidance says to treat it as automatically satisfied even when you’re conforming to 2.1 or 2.0. Genuine markup problems that affect users — like broken ARIA — are still caught by 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.
Migration
From WCAG 2.1 AA to 2.2 AA in four steps
If you already meet 2.1 AA, closing the gap is a focused project — not a re-audit of everything.
Step 1
Confirm your 2.1 AA baseline
Everything in WCAG 2.1 AA still applies in 2.2 — contrast, alt text, keyboard access, labels, reflow. If your baseline has gaps, they carry over, so scan first.
Step 2
Tab through your key pages
Check that focused elements stay visible under sticky headers and banners (2.4.11), and that the focus indicator itself is easy to see on every interactive element.
Step 3
Audit touch targets and gestures
Measure small controls — icon buttons, pagination, close buttons — against the 24×24 pixel minimum (2.5.8), and give any drag interaction a click alternative (2.5.7).
Step 4
Review forms and login flows
Stop asking for the same data twice in one flow (3.3.7), keep help links in a consistent spot (3.2.6), and make sure login allows paste and password managers (3.3.8).
What do laws actually require?
Legal references lag the standard: US courts and DOJ guidance point to WCAG 2.1 AA for the ADA, Section 508 formally cites WCAG 2.0 AA, and the European Accessibility Act works through EN 301 549, which is based on WCAG 2.1. None of that argues for building to an older version — since 2.2 AA contains 2.1 AA, meeting 2.2 satisfies all of them at once. For the US picture in detail, see our guide on how to make your website ADA compliant; for Europe, the EAA compliance widget.
Test once, cover both versions
Because 2.2 checks are a superset of 2.1 AA, a single test pass against 2.2 covers both. Run the free WCAG accessibility scanner for the machine-checkable criteria, then manually verify what 2.2 added: focus visibility under sticky elements, 24×24 pixel targets, and login flows. While you remediate, the Inclusense accessibility widget gives visitors working display controls from day one — free 14-day trial, no credit card required.
FAQ
WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2 FAQ
What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?
WCAG 2.2 keeps every requirement from WCAG 2.1 except 4.1.1 Parsing (removed as obsolete) and adds 9 new success criteria: Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11, 2.4.12), Focus Appearance (2.4.13), Dragging Movements (2.5.7), Target Size Minimum (2.5.8), Consistent Help (3.2.6), Redundant Entry (3.3.7), and Accessible Authentication (3.3.8, 3.3.9). For a site targeting Level AA, the practical difference is six new A/AA criteria.
Does WCAG 2.2 replace WCAG 2.1?
Both remain published W3C standards, but WCAG 2.2 is the current recommendation and the W3C encourages using it for new work. Because 2.2 is backwards compatible at Level AA, a site that conforms to WCAG 2.2 AA also conforms to 2.1 AA — so there's no conflict in building to 2.2 while laws still cite 2.1.
Is WCAG 2.2 legally required?
Not yet in most jurisdictions. US courts and DOJ guidance reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA for the ADA, Section 508 formally cites WCAG 2.0 AA, and the European Accessibility Act relies on EN 301 549, which is based on WCAG 2.1. Standards bodies update these references over time, so meeting 2.2 AA today satisfies current requirements and insulates you against the next update.
If my site meets WCAG 2.1 AA, what do I need to do for 2.2 AA?
Close six criteria: keep keyboard focus visible under sticky elements (2.4.11), provide alternatives to dragging (2.5.7), make targets at least 24×24 pixels (2.5.8), keep help in a consistent place (3.2.6), don't ask for the same information twice in a flow (3.3.7), and allow paste/password managers at login (3.3.8). You can also stop worrying about 4.1.1 Parsing — it was removed.
Why was 4.1.1 Parsing removed in WCAG 2.2?
4.1.1 required markup to be well-formed because early assistive technologies parsed HTML themselves and could break on malformed code. Modern browsers repair HTML consistently before assistive technology ever sees it, so the criterion no longer prevented real barriers. In WCAG 2.2 it was removed; W3C guidance treats it as automatically satisfied even when conforming to 2.1.
Should I test against WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?
Test against 2.2. Its checks are a superset of 2.1 AA, so one test pass covers both the current legal benchmark and the newest standard. Start with an automated scan for the machine-checkable criteria, then manually verify focus visibility, target size, and login flows — the areas 2.2 added.
What about WCAG 3.0?
WCAG 3.0 is an early-stage W3C draft with a different structure and scoring model, and it is years away from becoming a standard — with a long transition period after that. It's worth ignoring for compliance planning today: build to WCAG 2.2 AA, which will remain the practical benchmark for the foreseeable future.
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