WCAG 2.2 Checklist: Level AA Items for Small Business Websites

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are long and easy to put off. This WCAG 2.2 checklist turns the Level AA requirements into questions you can answer by looking at your own pages: can I do this with a keyboard, can I read this when zoomed, does every image and field have a name, does this error make sense. Level AA is the target this guide uses, a common choice for a business site.

It is for owners, marketers and developers of small sites. You will learn what is new in WCAG 2.2, how conformance works, and how to test each group of criteria with a browser. You will end with a ranked findings list. A checklist cannot certify a site, no tool can say a site "is compliant", and this is not legal advice; which law applies to you depends on your country and your business, and a qualified adviser should answer that.

Short answer: WCAG 2.2 Level AA means meeting every Level A and Level AA success criterion. Compared with 2.1, it adds six new criteria at those levels: Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry and Accessible Authentication (Minimum). It also removes 4.1.1 Parsing.

Before you begin

Choose the scope first. WCAG conformance applies to whole pages, and W3C states that for a multi-step process such as checkout, every page in the process must conform for any of them to count. List your home page, a typical content page, contact or booking, search, checkout or sign-up, and any page with video, PDFs or embedded tools. Record findings in a spreadsheet with columns for page, criterion, what you saw, severity and owner, and make fixes on a staging copy.

What is new in WCAG 2.2 compared with 2.1?

W3C published WCAG 2.2 on 5 October 2023 and updated it on 12 December 2024. W3C calls 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 backwards compatible: content that meets 2.2 also meets 2.1 and 2.0. WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria, six of them at Level A or AA:

New criterion	Level	What to check
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)	AA	A focused control is not entirely hidden by a sticky header, footer or banner.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements	AA	Anything done by dragging can also be done with a single click or tap, unless dragging is essential.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)	AA	Pointer targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough spacing, or meet an exception.
3.2.6 Consistent Help	A	Contact, chat or help links repeated across pages stay in the same relative order.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry	A	Information already entered in the same process is filled in or selectable.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum)	AA	Logging in does not rely on memory, puzzles or transcription without an alternative or helper.

For Target Size, W3C's spacing exception works with an imaginary 24 pixel circle centred on each undersized target: it passes if that circle touches no other target or circle. Other exceptions cover inline links in sentences, browser-controlled controls, an equivalent control on the same page, and essential presentation.

The other three (2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), 2.4.13 Focus Appearance and 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)) are Level AAA, so they are not part of an AA target. WCAG 2.2 also removed 4.1.1 Parsing as obsolete, so it is no longer a conformance item to test, although broken markup can still cause real bugs.

How does WCAG conformance work?

Level AA requires all Level A and all Level AA criteria; the levels are cumulative. Conformance applies to complete web pages, not fragments. W3C's conformance page says claims are optional and does not discuss law. W3C's WCAG overview notes that WCAG 2.2 is also published as ISO/IEC 40500:2025 and that the 2026 version of EN 301 549, which many organisations use for the European Accessibility Act, is based on WCAG 2.2. That is context, not an answer to whether a given rule applies to your business.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Run the automated checks first

Run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools or a similar tool on each page in scope. Automated tests find missing alt text, missing form labels, low contrast and empty buttons. They find only part of the problems, so a high score never means "accessible"; Crawvix's accessibility check also draws on Lighthouse audits and is worded that way. Keep the output as a to-do list, then do the manual checks. Website Accessibility Audit: Fix the Most Common Problems walks through this stage in detail.

What success looks like: A list of flagged elements per page, with automated issues fixed or logged.

Step 2: Work through the WCAG 2.2 checklist by area

Use these tables as your testing sheet. Each row is a question; a "no" is a finding.

Perceivable: can everyone see or hear the content?

Criterion	Level	How to test
1.1.1 Non-text Content	A	Every meaningful image, icon button and chart has a text alternative that serves the same purpose; decoration is hidden from assistive technology. See How to Write Alt Text.
1.2.x Audio and video	A, AA	Prerecorded video has captions (1.2.2) and an audio description or text alternative (1.2.3, 1.2.5); live video has captions (1.2.4).
1.3.1 Info and Relationships	A	Headings are real headings, lists are lists, form labels are connected in the code.
1.3.4 Orientation	AA	The page works in portrait and landscape unless one is essential.
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose	AA	Name, email, phone and address fields have `autocomplete` tokens.
1.4.1 Use of Color	A	Nothing relies on colour alone, such as red-only errors or link text without an underline.
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)	AA	Text has at least 4.5:1 contrast, or 3:1 for large text (18 point, or 14 point bold). See Color Contrast and WCAG.
1.4.4 Resize Text	AA	At 200 percent browser zoom, no content or function is lost.
1.4.5 Images of Text	AA	Text is real text, not pictures, apart from logos and essential cases.
1.4.10 Reflow	AA	At a 320 CSS pixel width, no two-directional scrolling, except for content like maps and data tables.
1.4.11 Non-text Contrast	AA	Input borders, icons and focus indicators have at least 3:1 against adjacent colours.
1.4.12 Text Spacing	AA	Raising line height to 1.5, paragraph spacing to 2, letter spacing to 0.12 and word spacing to 0.16 times the font size breaks nothing.
1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus	AA	Tooltips and pop-ups can be dismissed, hovered over and stay until dismissed.

Operable: can everyone use it?

Criterion	Level	How to test
2.1.1 / 2.1.2 Keyboard, No Trap	A	Every function works by keyboard, and focus is never stuck. See Keyboard Accessibility.
2.2.1 / 2.2.2 Timing, Pause	A	Time limits can be extended; auto-moving content lasting over five seconds can be paused. Audio that plays for more than three seconds can be stopped (1.4.2).
2.3.1 Three Flashes	A	Nothing flashes more than three times per second.
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks	A	A skip link, landmarks or headings let users skip repeated content.
2.4.2 Page Titled	A	Each page has a unique `<title>` describing its topic.
2.4.3 Focus Order	A	Tab order follows meaning.
2.4.4 Link Purpose	A	Link text, with its context, says where it goes; avoid bare "click here".
2.4.5 Multiple Ways	AA	Two or more ways to find pages: navigation plus search, sitemap or links.
2.4.6 Headings and Labels	AA	Headings and labels describe their topic.
2.4.7 Focus Visible	AA	A visible indicator shows keyboard focus.
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured	AA	Sticky elements do not completely cover the focused item.
2.5.1 / 2.5.2 Pointer Gestures and Cancellation	A	Swipes and pinches have single-pointer alternatives; actions fire on release, not on press-down, unless an undo exists.
2.5.3 Label in Name	A	The accessible name contains the visible label text.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements	AA	Sliders, sortable lists and similar controls work with a click or tap alternative.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)	AA	Small buttons and icons are 24 by 24 CSS pixels or spaced out. See Mobile Usability.

Understandable and Robust: does it behave predictably?

Criterion	Level	How to test
3.1.1 / 3.1.2 Language	A, AA	The `lang` attribute is set on the page and on passages in another language.
3.2.1 / 3.2.2 On Focus, On Input	A	Focusing or entering a value never triggers a surprise change of context.
3.2.3 / 3.2.4 Consistent Navigation, Identification	AA	Menus keep their order, and the same function gets the same name everywhere.
3.2.6 Consistent Help	A	Help and contact links appear in the same place on each page.
3.3.1 / 3.3.3 Errors	A, AA	Errors are described in text, with a suggested fix when known.
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions	A	Every field has a label or instruction.
3.3.4 Error Prevention	AA	Legal, financial or data submissions can be reviewed, corrected or reversed.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry	A	The checkout does not ask for the same address twice.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication	AA	Login allows paste and password managers, or offers another method.
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value	A	Custom controls expose a name, role and state; native elements are used where possible.
4.1.3 Status Messages	AA	Confirmation and error messages are announced without taking focus.

The forms rows are covered in Accessible Forms: Labels, Instructions and Error Messages.

Step 3: Do the three-minute manual tests

Three quick tests reveal many findings. First, tab through the page with the keyboard. Second, zoom the browser to 200 percent, then narrow the window to about 320 pixels and look for lost content or sideways scrolling. Third, submit a form empty and read every message. If you can, add a screen reader (NVDA on Windows, VoiceOver on Mac or iPhone) and listen to the page title, headings and one form.

What success looks like: You can finish your main task on every key page by keyboard, zoomed in, and by listening.

Step 4: Check media, documents and third-party widgets

Check that videos have captions and that audio-only content has a text alternative. Chat widgets, booking tools and consent banners you did not build still appear on your pages, so test them with the keyboard and zoom. If one fails and you cannot fix it, ask the vendor about it or consider replacing it.

What success looks like: Every embedded item passes the same tests as your own pages, or has a documented plan.

Step 5: Rank, fix and retest

Sort findings into blockers (a person cannot complete a task: unreachable button, missing label on a checkout field, keyboard trap), serious (hard to use: low contrast, poor focus) and minor. Fix shared templates first, since one change to a header or form component fixes every page. Retest each fix with the method that found it and record the date.

What success looks like: The blocker list is empty and a dated record shows what was tested.

Final verification checklist

The WCAG 2.2 checklist scope (pages and complete processes) is written down.
Automated checks are run on every page in scope and the results are filed.
Keyboard, zoom to 200 percent and 320 pixel reflow tests are done on key pages.
The six new WCAG 2.2 A and AA items were each tested.
Contrast, labels, headings, alt text and page titles are checked against the tables above.
Videos have captions and audio-only content has a text alternative.
Third-party widgets were tested like your own pages.
Findings are ranked, fixed in templates first and retested.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating a Lighthouse score as the finish line. It covers only what software can detect.
Testing the home page only. Checkout, forms, search and dialogs tend to hold the blockers.
Skipping the new 2.2 items. Sticky headers (2.4.11), small icon buttons (2.5.8) and drag-only widgets (2.5.7) are worth checking first.
Chasing 4.1.1 Parsing. It was removed in 2.2; spend the time on Name, Role, Value (4.1.2) instead.
Claiming compliance. Describe what you tested and when instead.
Leaving it unowned. Name a person and re-test after redesigns and plugin updates.

Frequently asked questions

Which WCAG version should a small business follow?

W3C encourages use of the latest version, and 2.2 is backwards compatible with 2.1 and 2.0. Rules in your country may still name a specific version, so check them or ask an adviser.

Do I need Level AAA?

W3C's conformance page does not recommend requiring Level AAA conformance for entire sites. Treat AAA items as useful extras where they fit.

Is WCAG 2.2 the same as ISO/IEC 40500?

W3C's WCAG overview says WCAG 2.2 is ISO/IEC 40500:2025 and is identical to the October 2023 version. This checklist groups related criteria, so use the official text when you need precise wording.

Can an overlay or plugin make my site compliant?

This guide cannot vouch for any product. Conformance is judged on the pages themselves, so an add-on's claim is no substitute for testing your own pages against the criteria.

How often should I re-test?

After redesigns, new plugins, checkout changes and any new video or widget.

Official references

Next step: Try the free website sample to see how your own site does on a few of these checks. This guide provides technical information, not a guarantee of rankings, traffic or index inclusion.