WCAG Success Criteria
All 87 WCAG success criteria across versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2. Organized by the four principles of accessibility.
Perceivable
Non-text Content
All non-text content presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose.
Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
Prerecorded audio-only and video-only content must have text alternatives that convey equivalent information to users who cannot perceive the original media.
Captions (Prerecorded)
Captions must be provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, enabling deaf and hard-of-hearing users to access the audio information.
Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the video content must be provided for prerecorded synchronized media, unless the media is a media alternative for text.
Captions (Live)
Captions must be provided for all live audio content in synchronized media, ensuring real-time access for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Audio Description (Prerecorded)
Audio description must be provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media, describing important visual information not available from the audio track alone.
Sign Language (Prerecorded)
Sign language interpretation must be provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, offering an alternative for users whose primary language is sign language.
Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)
Where pauses in foreground audio are insufficient for audio descriptions, extended audio description must be provided by pausing the video to allow complete descriptions of visual content.
Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
A full text alternative must be provided for all prerecorded synchronized media and all prerecorded video-only media, presenting all visual and auditory information in text form.
Audio-only (Live)
A text alternative must be provided for live audio-only content, delivering equivalent information in real time for users who cannot hear the audio.
Info and Relationships
Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text.
Meaningful Sequence
When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined.
Sensory Characteristics
Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics such as shape, color, size, visual location, orientation, or sound.
Orientation
Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation, such as portrait or landscape, unless a specific display orientation is essential.
Identify Input Purpose
The purpose of each input field collecting information about the user can be programmatically determined when the input field serves a purpose identified in the Input Purposes for User Interface Components section.
Identify Purpose
In content implemented using markup languages, the purpose of user interface components, icons, and regions can be programmatically determined.
Use of Color
Color is not the sole means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.
Reflow
Content can be presented without loss of information or functionality and without requiring scrolling in two dimensions at 320 CSS pixels wide or 256 CSS pixels tall.
Non-text Contrast
User interface components and graphical objects have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colors.
Text Spacing
No loss of content or functionality occurs when users override text spacing: line height to 1.5x, paragraph spacing to 2x, letter spacing to 0.12em, and word spacing to 0.16em.
Content on Hover or Focus
When additional content appears on hover or focus, it is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent until the user removes hover/focus or the content is no longer relevant.
Audio Control
If audio plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, a mechanism is available to pause, stop, or control the volume independently from the system volume.
Contrast (Minimum)
Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for large text which requires 3:1.
Resize Text
Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality, without requiring assistive technology.
Images of Text
If the same visual presentation can be achieved with real text, images of text are not used, except for customization or essential use.
Contrast (Enhanced)
Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text.
Low or No Background Audio
For prerecorded audio-only content containing speech, background sounds are at least 20 dB lower than foreground speech, or can be turned off.
Visual Presentation
For blocks of text, users can select foreground and background colors, width is no more than 80 characters, text is not justified, line spacing is at least 1.5, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times the line spacing.
Images of Text (No Exception)
Images of text are only used for pure decoration or where a particular presentation of text is essential.
Operable
Keyboard
All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes.
No Keyboard Trap
If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface.
Keyboard (No Exception)
All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, with no exceptions.
Character Key Shortcuts
If a keyboard shortcut is implemented using only letter, punctuation, number, or symbol characters, then a mechanism is available to turn it off, remap it, or make it active only on focus.
Timing Adjustable
For each time limit that is set by the content, the user can turn off, adjust, or extend the time limit.
Pause, Stop, Hide
For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, the user can pause, stop, or hide it.
No Timing
Timing is not an essential part of the event or activity presented by the content, except for non-interactive synchronized media and real-time events.
Interruptions
Interruptions can be postponed or suppressed by the user, except interruptions involving an emergency.
Re-authenticating
When an authenticated session expires, the user can continue the activity without loss of data after re-authenticating.
Timeouts
Users are warned of the duration of any user inactivity that could cause data loss, unless the data is preserved for more than 20 hours of inactivity.
Three Flashes or Below Threshold
Web pages do not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one-second period, or the flash is below the general flash and red flash thresholds.
Three Flashes
Web pages do not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one-second period.
Animation from Interactions
Motion animation triggered by interaction can be disabled, unless the animation is essential to the functionality or the information being conveyed.
Bypass Blocks
A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple web pages.
Section Headings
Section headings are used to organize the content.
Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)
When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the component is not entirely hidden due to author-created content.
Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)
When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, no part of the component is hidden by author-created content.
Focus Appearance
When a user interface component receives keyboard focus, the focus indicator has sufficient size and contrast to be clearly visible.
Page Titled
Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose.
Focus Order
If a web page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability.
Link Purpose (In Context)
The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone, or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context.
Multiple Ways
More than one way is available to locate a web page within a set of web pages, except where the page is a result of or a step in a process.
Headings and Labels
Headings and labels describe topic or purpose.
Focus Visible
Any keyboard operable user interface has a mode of operation where the keyboard focus indicator is visible.
Location
Information about the user's location within a set of web pages is available.
Link Purpose (Link Only)
A mechanism is available to allow the purpose of each link to be identified from link text alone, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general.
Pointer Gestures
All functionality that uses multipoint or path-based gestures for operation can be operated with a single pointer without a path-based gesture, unless a multipoint or path-based gesture is essential.
Pointer Cancellation
For functionality that can be operated using a single pointer, at least one of the following is true: the down-event is not used, the action is completed on the up-event with an ability to abort or undo, or the up-event reverses any outcome of the down-event.
Label in Name
For user interface components with labels that include text or images of text, the accessible name contains the text that is presented visually.
Motion Actuation
Functionality that can be operated by device motion or user motion can also be operated by user interface components, and responding to the motion can be disabled to prevent accidental actuation.
Target Size (Enhanced)
The size of the target for pointer inputs is at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels, except when an equivalent alternative target is available, the target is inline in text, the size is user-agent controlled, or the presentation is essential.
Concurrent Input Mechanisms
Web content does not restrict use of input modalities available on a platform except where the restriction is essential, required to ensure security, or required to respect user settings.
Dragging Movements
All functionality that uses a dragging movement for operation can be achieved by a single pointer without dragging, unless dragging is essential or the functionality is determined by the user agent.
Target Size (Minimum)
The size of the target for pointer inputs is at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, except where an equivalent control exists, the target is inline, the size is user-agent determined, or the presentation is essential.
Understandable
Language of Page
The default human language of each web page can be programmatically determined.
Language of Parts
The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined, except for proper names, technical terms, and words of indeterminate language.
Unusual Words
A mechanism is available for identifying specific definitions of words or phrases used in an unusual or restricted way, including idioms and jargon.
Abbreviations
A mechanism for identifying the expanded form or meaning of abbreviations is available.
Reading Level
When text requires more than a lower secondary education reading level, supplemental content or an alternative version is available.
Pronunciation
A mechanism is available for identifying specific pronunciation of words where meaning is ambiguous without knowing the pronunciation.
On Focus
When any user interface component receives focus, it does not initiate a change of context.
On Input
Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the component.
Consistent Navigation
Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple web pages within a set occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated.
Consistent Identification
Components that have the same functionality within a set of web pages are identified consistently.
Change on Request
Changes of context are initiated only by user request, or a mechanism is available to turn off such changes.
Consistent Help
If a web page contains help mechanisms, they occur in the same relative order on each page.
Error Identification
If an input error is automatically detected, the item that is in error is identified and the error is described to the user in text.
Labels or Instructions
Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input.
Error Suggestion
If an input error is automatically detected and suggestions for correction are known, the suggestions are provided to the user, unless it would jeopardize the security or purpose of the content.
Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)
For web pages that cause legal commitments or financial transactions, submissions are reversible, checked, or confirmed.
Help
Context-sensitive help is available.
Error Prevention (All)
For web pages that require the user to submit information, submissions are reversible, checked, or confirmed.
Redundant Entry
Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process is either auto-populated or available for the user to select.
Accessible Authentication (Minimum)
A cognitive function test is not required for any step in an authentication process unless an alternative or assistance mechanism is provided.
Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)
A cognitive function test is not required for any step in an authentication process.
Robust
Parsing
In content implemented using markup languages, elements have complete start and end tags, elements are nested according to their specifications, elements do not contain duplicate attributes, and any IDs are unique.
Name, Role, Value
For all user interface components, the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies.
Status Messages
In content implemented using markup languages, status messages can be programmatically determined through role or properties such that they can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus.