Levels: A, AA, AAA

WCAG success criteria are split into three levels:

  • A (basic): Removes the most critical barriers — e.g. alt text for images, keyboard access.
  • AA (the target): The level referenced by legislation (EAA, ADA case law, EN 301 549) — e.g. a 4.5:1 contrast ratio, visible focus, consistent navigation.
  • AAA (advanced): The highest level; not always achievable for all content.

Your practical target should be WCAG 2.2 AA. That is the level regulations ask for.

What's new in WCAG 2.2

Version 2.2, published in October 2023, added 9 new success criteria. Highlights:

  • Focus not obscured (2.4.11): Keyboard focus must never be fully hidden.
  • Dragging movements (2.5.7): Drag interactions must also work with a single click.
  • Target size (2.5.8): Click targets must be at least 24×24 pixels.
  • Accessible authentication (3.3.8): Sign-in flows must not require a cognitive test.

The most commonly failed criteria

According to WebAIM's annual scan of one million homepages, the most common failures are low color contrast, missing alt text, empty links, missing form labels and a missing page language. These five account for more than 90% of all detected issues — and all of them are fixable automatically.

Check your colors right now with our free contrast checker.

How AccessNox helps with WCAG

  • 9 ready-made profiles and 20+ features give visitors personal adaptations
  • Missing alt texts are generated by AI
  • A built-in screen reader, reading mask and reading guide
  • Usage statistics show the return on your accessibility investment