# WCAG 2.1 vs WCAG 2.2: What Changed and Which to Use

Source: https://accessibilityscore.in/wcag-2-1-vs-2-2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16 by the HalfAccessible accessibility team

Laws and contracts name different WCAG versions: the ADA Title II rule names 2.1, while the newest European standard and the ISO standard use 2.2. This guide shows exactly what differs between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 and which to build to.

## Short answer
WCAG 2.2 is WCAG 2.1 plus nine new success criteria, minus the obsolete 4.1.1 Parsing. It adds requirements for focus not being hidden, dragging alternatives, a 24-pixel minimum target size, consistent help, avoiding redundant entry and accessible sign-in. Content that meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA also meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA, so target 2.2.

## Key facts

- **WCAG 2.1 published:** 5 June 2018 (updated edition 6 May 2025)
- **WCAG 2.2 published:** 5 October 2023 (updated edition 12 December 2024)
- **Success criteria in WCAG 2.1:** 78: 30 at A, 20 at AA, 28 at AAA
- **Success criteria in WCAG 2.2:** 86: 31 at A, 24 at AA, 31 at AAA
- **Needed for Level AA:** 50 criteria in 2.1, 55 in 2.2
- **Removed in 2.2:** 4.1.1 Parsing (obsolete; the updated 2.1 says to treat it as always satisfied for HTML and XML)
- **ISO status:** WCAG 2.2 is ISO/IEC 40500:2025

## What is new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria. Six are at Level A or AA, so they are part of the usual conformance target:

- 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA: the focused element is not completely hidden by other content such as sticky headers.
- 2.5.7 Dragging Movements, AA: anything done by dragging can also be done with single clicks or taps.
- 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), AA: pointer targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced so they do not crowd each other.
- 3.2.6 Consistent Help, A: help mechanisms appear in the same relative order on every page that has them.
- 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, A: information already given in a process is reused or selectable instead of being asked for again.
- 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA: sign-in does not rely on a cognitive test such as remembering a password or solving a puzzle, unless help like password managers and paste is supported.
- Plus three at Level AAA: 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), 2.4.13 Focus Appearance and 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced).

## Why was 4.1.1 Parsing removed?

4.1.1 Parsing required valid, well-formed markup so assistive technologies could read it. Browsers and assistive technologies now handle markup errors consistently, and the problems the criterion was meant to catch are covered by other criteria such as 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value. W3C made it obsolete in WCAG 2.2, and the updated WCAG 2.1 edition notes that it should be considered always satisfied for content using HTML or XML.

## Which laws require WCAG 2.1 and which use WCAG 2.2?

Different rules cite different versions, so check the one that applies to you:

- ADA Title II rule for US state and local governments: WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
- Section 508 for US federal agencies: WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
- EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021), long the European benchmark: WCAG 2.1.
- EN 301 549 V4.1.1 (September 2026): aligned with WCAG 2.2.
- ISO/IEC 40500:2025: identical to WCAG 2.2.

## Should you target WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2?

Target WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Because 2.2 contains every 2.1 criterion except the obsolete Parsing criterion, meeting 2.2 AA also meets 2.1 AA and 2.0 AA. That covers the ADA Title II rule and Section 508 today and the newer European and ISO standards as they take effect, so you remediate once.

If a contract asks only for WCAG 2.1 AA, the six extra A and AA criteria in 2.2 are still worth meeting: target size, focus visibility and accessible sign-in affect many users and are inexpensive to build in from the start.

## How do you test for the WCAG 2.2 additions?

Of the new criteria, only target size can be measured fully by a tool. AccessibilityScore.in checks every pointer target against the 24-pixel minimum and its spacing exception, and runs the WCAG 2.1 checks that axe-core supports. The others need a person: tab through pages with sticky elements visible, try every drag interaction with clicks only, compare help placement across pages, walk through multi-step forms, and sign in using a password manager and paste.

## WCAG 2.1 vs WCAG 2.2 side by side

| Aspect | WCAG 2.1 | WCAG 2.2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| W3C Recommendation | 5 June 2018 | 5 October 2023 |
| Total success criteria | 78 | 86 |
| Criteria for Level AA conformance | 50 | 55 |
| New criteria compared with the previous version | 17 over WCAG 2.0 | 9 over WCAG 2.1 |
| 4.1.1 Parsing | Included; treat as always satisfied for HTML and XML | Obsolete and removed |
| ISO standard | None | ISO/IEC 40500:2025 |
| Cited by | ADA Title II rule, EN 301 549 V3.2.1 | EN 301 549 V4.1.1, ISO/IEC 40500:2025 |

## Common questions

### What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?
WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria (six at Level A or AA) and removes the obsolete 4.1.1 Parsing. Everything else is the same.

### Is WCAG 2.2 backward compatible with 2.1?
Yes. Content that meets WCAG 2.2 at a level also meets WCAG 2.1 and 2.0 at that level.

### How many success criteria are in WCAG 2.2?
86 in total: 31 at Level A, 24 at Level AA and 31 at Level AAA. Level AA conformance means meeting the 55 at A and AA.

### How many success criteria are in WCAG 2.1?
78 in total: 30 at Level A, 20 at Level AA and 28 at Level AAA. Level AA conformance means meeting 50.

### Does the ADA require WCAG 2.2?
The ADA Title II rule for state and local governments names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Meeting WCAG 2.2 AA satisfies it, because 2.2 includes the 2.1 criteria. This is not legal advice.

### Is WCAG 3 replacing WCAG 2.2?
Not yet. WCAG 3 is an early draft from W3C. WCAG 2.2 is the current stable Recommendation and the version to build to.

## Sources

1. [W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/)
2. [W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/)
3. [W3C WAI: What's New in WCAG 2.1](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-21/)
4. [W3C WAI: What's New in WCAG 2.2](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/)
5. [W3C WAI: WCAG overview (ISO/IEC 40500, EN 301 549)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/)
6. [US DOJ: Fact sheet on the Title II web and mobile app rule](https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/)

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