WCAG 2.2: what changed for online shops
· 6 min read
WCAG 2.2 added nine new success criteria, and six of them are at levels A and AA, which is what online shops are usually expected to meet. The key points for shops: buttons and links must be large enough (at least 24×24 CSS pixels or with enough spacing), focus must not be hidden under sticky bars, the cart and checkout must not make people enter the same data twice, and logging in must not require solving puzzles. Below is each change with e-commerce examples.
WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549: what is mandatory now
In the EU, website accessibility under the EAA is measured against the European standard EN 301 549. The situation as of October 2026:
- EN 301 549 V3.2.1 is based on WCAG 2.1 AA and is still the harmonised version.
- EN 301 549 V4.1.1 is based on WCAG 2.2 AA. It was published in September 2026, and its reference in the Official Journal of the EU is expected at the end of 2026.
WCAG 2.2 is backward compatible with 2.1: a site that meets 2.2 AA automatically meets 2.1 AA too (except for the obsolete criterion 4.1.1, more on that below). That is why we check against WCAG 2.2 AA: the shop prepares for the new version of the standard and loses nothing under the old one. More about the law itself in the EAA guide.
What changed in WCAG 2.2 for online shops: new A and AA criteria
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA
When a user moves through the page with the Tab key, the focused element must not be completely hidden under other content. A typical problem in shops is a sticky header, a cookie banner or a “Chat with support” button that hides the active link or field.
What to do: test the page with the keyboard only; add scroll-padding-top so the active element does not end up under the sticky header; the cookie banner must not cover content once it is closed.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements, AA
If something can only be done by dragging (a price slider in a filter, sorting, a “before / after” slider), there must be a way to do the same with a single tap or click.
What to do: add “from” and “to” fields to the price range slider; add “previous” and “next” buttons to the carousel.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), AA
Touch targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels or have enough free space around them that a 24-pixel circle does not overlap a neighbouring target. There are exceptions, for example links inside text.
In shops this most often means: tiny “+” and “−” buttons next to the quantity, “remove from cart” icons, slider dots, colour swatch circles.
What to do: enlarge the target area with padding or min-width/min-height, even if the icon itself stays small.
3.2.6 Consistent Help, A
If several pages offer a way to get help (phone, email, chat, FAQ page), it must be in the same relative place. For example, the “Help” link is always in the header or always in the footer.
What to do: do not move contact details and chat between page templates; pay special attention to checkout pages, which often have a separate template.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry, A
Information the user has already entered in the same process must be filled in automatically or offered for selection. The classic example is the shipping address and the billing address.
What to do: add a “Billing address is the same as shipping address” checkbox; do not ask again for an email already entered in the previous step.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA
Logging in must not require a cognitive test: remembering, transcribing or solving something, unless there is an alternative. Pasting a password from a password manager must work, as must login via an email link or a passkey.
What to do: do not block pasting into the password and code fields; check how your CAPTCHA works and whether it has an accessible alternative.
New AAA criteria, briefly
- 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced): focus is not hidden even partly.
- 2.4.13 Focus Appearance: requirements for the size and contrast of the focus indicator.
- 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced): a stricter version of 3.3.8.
Level AAA is usually not required for the whole site, but 2.4.13 is a useful guide for designing a visible focus.
4.1.1 “Parsing” is now obsolete
In WCAG 2.2, criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) is marked obsolete and removed: modern browsers and assistive technologies handle markup errors themselves. For a shop this means duplicate id attributes are no longer a separate requirement, but they can still break field labels and ARIA relationships. So these problems are still worth fixing.
What an automated check will find
| Criterion | Automated | Manual check needed |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured | no | yes, a keyboard walkthrough |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | no | yes |
| 2.5.8 Target Size | partly | yes, for complex cases |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | no | yes |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | no | yes, in the cart and checkout |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication | no | yes |
In other words, most of the new WCAG 2.2 requirements concern interface behaviour that automation cannot see. An automated check is not a full audit and not legal advice: it is good at catching contrast, alt text, field labels and empty buttons, while the new criteria need a manual walkthrough on top. A practical list for self-checking is in the WCAG 2.2 checklist.
A one-sprint plan for a shop
- Go through the path “home → product → cart → payment” with the keyboard only. Look for hidden focus (2.4.11).
- Find all small icon buttons and enlarge their target areas (2.5.8).
- Add an alternative to sliders and carousels (2.5.7).
- Check that the address and email are not entered twice (3.3.7).
- Fix the position of the help link across all templates (3.2.6).
- Check login: pasting the password, CAPTCHA, login via link (3.3.8).
- Run an automated check to clear the typical errors: see the 10 most common errors in Shopify and WooCommerce.
To find out whether your shop falls under the EAA at all, use the three-question filter.
Answers to frequent questions
How many new criteria are in WCAG 2.2? Nine: six at levels A and AA and three at level AAA. Criterion 4.1.1 is now obsolete.
Is WCAG 2.2 already mandatory? The harmonised standard is still EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (WCAG 2.1); V4.1.1 (WCAG 2.2) was published in September 2026, and its reference in the Official Journal of the EU is expected at the end of 2026.
Will automation find everything new? No, most of the new criteria are checked manually.
Check one page of your shop for free and see where to start.