What is new in WCAG 2.2 for shops?

Level AA adds Focus Not Obscured, Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum) and Accessible Authentication; level A adds Consistent Help and Redundant Entry. Parsing (4.1.1) was removed.

How big must buttons be under WCAG 2.2?

Success criterion 2.5.8 asks for targets of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or enough spacing around smaller targets, with some exceptions such as links inside text.

Can an automated tool check the whole list?

No. Tools reliably catch issues such as missing labels, missing alt attributes and low contrast. Keyboard order, meaningful alt text and focus visibility need a person.

WCAG 2.2 AA checklist for online shops

Updated October 12, 2026 · 3 min read

This checklist covers the WCAG 2.2 level AA points that matter most on an online shop — from contrast and alt text to keyboard access, focus and the new target size rule. For each point we note whether an automated tool can catch it (A), only partly (P), or whether it needs a manual check (M).

Text and colour

[ ] Text contrast at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text) — including prices, sale badges, placeholder text and text on banners. (A for plain text; M for text over images) — SC 1.4.3
[ ] Contrast of controls and focus indicators at least 3:1 against the background — input borders, icons, checkbox outlines. (P) — SC 1.4.11
[ ] Colour is not the only signal — e.g. "out of stock" is not shown only in grey, errors not only in red. (M) — SC 1.4.1
[ ] Text can be zoomed to 200% and the layout reflows at 320 px width without horizontal scrolling. (M) — SC 1.4.4, 1.4.10

Images and media

[ ] Every product image has alt text; decorative images have empty alt. (A for missing alt; M for quality) — SC 1.1.1
[ ] Alt text describes what matters — "Black leather ankle boot, side view", not "IMG_2041". (M)
[ ] Videos have captions; autoplaying media can be paused. (M) — SC 1.2.2, 2.2.2

Forms and checkout

[ ] Every field has a visible label connected to the input (not just a placeholder). (A for missing label; M for clarity) — SC 1.3.1, 3.3.2
[ ] Errors are described in text, next to the field, with a hint how to fix. (M) — SC 3.3.1, 3.3.3
[ ] Autocomplete attributes on name, email, address and phone. (P) — SC 1.3.5
[ ] Redundant entry avoided — the billing address can be copied from shipping. (M) — SC 3.3.7 (new in 2.2, level A)
[ ] Login without a memory test — allow password managers and pasting, do not require solving puzzles without an alternative. (M) — SC 3.3.8 (new in 2.2)

Buttons, links and structure

[ ] Every button and link has an accessible name — icon-only cart, search and close buttons included. (A) — SC 4.1.2, 2.4.4
[ ] Page has a language, a meaningful title and a logical heading structure. (A for language and title; M for structure) — SC 3.1.1, 2.4.2, 1.3.1
[ ] Consistent help — contact or help links stay in the same place across pages. (M) — SC 3.2.6 (new in 2.2, level A)

Keyboard and focus

[ ] Everything works with the keyboard — menu, filters, product options, cart, checkout, cookie banner. (M) — SC 2.1.1
[ ] No keyboard traps in pop-ups and chat widgets. (M) — SC 2.1.2
[ ] Focus is visible at all times. (M) — SC 2.4.7
[ ] Focus is not hidden behind sticky headers, cookie banners or chat bubbles. (M) — SC 2.4.11 (new in 2.2)
[ ] Logical focus order that follows the visual order. (M) — SC 2.4.3

Touch and pointer

[ ] Targets at least 24 × 24 CSS pixels or with enough spacing — quantity steppers, size swatches, pagination. (P) — SC 2.5.8 (new in 2.2)
[ ] No drag-only controls — price sliders and carousels also work with simple clicks. (M) — SC 2.5.7 (new in 2.2)

What automation catches — and what not

Automated tools, including the axe-core engine we use, reliably find missing alt attributes, missing labels, buttons without names, low text contrast, missing page language and broken ARIA. By various estimates they find roughly a third to a half of all issues. Keyboard flow, focus visibility, meaningful alt text and understandable errors need a person. That is why our report is an automated check, not a full audit, and not legal advice.

How to use this checklist

Run an automated scan of home, category, product, cart and checkout — start with our free check.
Fix the automated findings first; they are quick wins.
Walk through the manual points with a keyboard only (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Esc).
Re-check after every theme or app update.

Sources

W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/
W3C, What's new in WCAG 2.2: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/