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ADA Website Compliance Checklist: All 55 WCAG 2.2 AA Criteria

The ADA doesn't publish a technical checklist for websites — courts use WCAG. This is every WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA success criterion, in plain English, with how each one is tested. Meeting all 55 also covers WCAG 2.1 AA.

Updated · Source: W3C, WCAG 2.2 · By the REAL Accessibility engineering team

55
success criteria
31
Level A
24
Level AA
4
principles

How to use this checklist

  • Test your real templates — home, product, cart, checkout, forms, and blog — not just the homepage.
  • Where a criterion is marked Automated, a tool can find some failures, but a person still has to confirm the rest.
  • Anything without that mark needs a human: automated tools catch only 30–50% of WCAG issues.

Perceivable 20 criteria

Information can be seen, heard, or otherwise perceived. 9 Level A · 11 Level AA

  1. 1.1.1 Non-text Content

    A

    Every image, icon, and control has a text alternative that serves the same purpose; purely decorative images are hidden from screen readers.

    AutomatedManual reviewScreen reader

  2. 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

    A

    Prerecorded audio has a transcript, and silent video has a text or audio alternative.

    Manual review

  3. 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded)

    A

    Prerecorded video with sound has accurate, synchronized captions.

    Manual review

  4. 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative

    A

    Prerecorded video offers audio description or a full text alternative for what's only shown visually.

    Manual review

  5. 1.2.4 Captions (Live)

    AA

    Live video with audio has real-time captions.

    Manual review

  6. 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)

    AA

    Important visual information in prerecorded video is described in audio.

    Manual review

  7. 1.3.1 Info and Relationships

    A

    Headings, lists, tables, form labels, and groups are coded so their structure reaches assistive technology — not just the screen.

    AutomatedManual reviewScreen reader

  8. 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence

    A

    The reading order in the code matches the order that makes sense on screen.

    Manual reviewScreen reader

  9. 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics

    A

    Instructions don't rely only on shape, size, position, or sound — no “click the round button on the right.”

    Manual review

  10. 1.3.4 Orientation

    AA

    Content works in both portrait and landscape unless one orientation is essential.

    Manual review

  11. 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose

    AA

    Fields that collect personal data (name, email, address) declare their purpose so browsers can autofill them.

    AutomatedManual review

  12. 1.4.1 Use of Color

    A

    Color is never the only way information is shown — for example, red-only error states or links set apart only by color.

    AutomatedManual review

  13. 1.4.2 Audio Control

    A

    Audio that plays automatically for more than 3 seconds can be paused or muted.

    Manual review

  14. 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)

    AA

    Text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background (3:1 for large text).

    AutomatedManual review

  15. 1.4.4 Resize Text

    AA

    Text can be zoomed to 200% without losing content or functionality.

    Manual review

  16. 1.4.5 Images of Text

    AA

    Real text is used instead of pictures of text, except for logos.

    Manual review

  17. 1.4.10 Reflow

    AA

    Content fits a 320-pixel-wide screen without horizontal scrolling — the equivalent of 400% zoom.

    Manual review

  18. 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast

    AA

    Icons, input borders, focus indicators, and other interface parts have at least 3:1 contrast.

    Manual review

  19. 1.4.12 Text Spacing

    AA

    Nothing breaks when users increase line, letter, word, and paragraph spacing.

    Manual review

  20. 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus

    AA

    Tooltips and pop-ups that appear on hover or focus can be dismissed, can be hovered, and stay visible until the user moves on.

    Manual reviewKeyboard

Operable 20 criteria

Everything works with a keyboard, with time, without traps. 14 Level A · 6 Level AA

  1. 2.1.1 Keyboard

    A

    Everything works with a keyboard alone: menus, forms, carts, modals, sliders, and checkout.

    Keyboard

  2. 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap

    A

    Keyboard focus can always move away from any component — nothing traps it.

    Keyboard

  3. 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts

    A

    Single-key shortcuts can be turned off or remapped so they don't fire by accident.

    Manual reviewKeyboard

  4. 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable

    A

    Time limits, like checkout or session timeouts, can be turned off, adjusted, or extended.

    Manual review

  5. 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide

    A

    Carousels, auto-scrolling content, and animations that run longer than 5 seconds can be paused.

    Manual review

  6. 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold

    A

    Nothing flashes more than three times per second.

    Manual review

  7. 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks

    A

    A skip link or landmarks let users jump past repeated navigation.

    AutomatedKeyboardScreen reader

  8. 2.4.2 Page Titled

    A

    Every page has a title that describes its topic or purpose.

    AutomatedManual review

  9. 2.4.3 Focus Order

    A

    Keyboard focus moves through the page in an order that preserves meaning.

    Keyboard

  10. 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)

    A

    The purpose of every link is clear from its text or context — no bare “click here.”

    AutomatedManual reviewScreen reader

  11. 2.4.5 Multiple Ways

    AA

    There's more than one way to find a page, such as navigation, search, or a sitemap.

    Manual review

  12. 2.4.6 Headings and Labels

    AA

    Headings and labels describe the topic or purpose of what follows.

    Manual review

  13. 2.4.7 Focus Visible

    AA

    You can always see which element has keyboard focus.

    Keyboard

  14. 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)

    AA

    The focused element isn't completely hidden by sticky headers, cookie banners, or chat widgets.

    Keyboard

  15. 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures

    A

    Anything that needs a multi-finger or path gesture, like pinch or swipe, also works with a single tap or click.

    Manual review

  16. 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation

    A

    Actions fire when the pointer is released, not pressed, so accidental taps can be undone.

    Manual review

  17. 2.5.3 Label in Name

    A

    A control's accessible name includes its visible label, so voice-control users can say what they see.

    AutomatedManual reviewScreen reader

  18. 2.5.4 Motion Actuation

    A

    Features triggered by shaking or tilting the device also work through the interface and can be disabled.

    Manual review

  19. 2.5.7 Dragging Movements

    AA

    Anything done by dragging — sliders, sortable lists, maps — can also be done without dragging.

    Manual review

  20. 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)

    AA

    Click and tap targets are at least 24 × 24 CSS pixels, or have enough space around them.

    AutomatedManual review

Understandable 13 criteria

Content and forms behave predictably and explain errors. 7 Level A · 6 Level AA

  1. 3.1.1 Language of Page

    A

    The page declares its main language so screen readers pronounce it correctly.

    Automated

  2. 3.1.2 Language of Parts

    AA

    Passages in another language are marked up — for example, a Spanish section on an English page.

    Manual reviewScreen reader

  3. 3.2.1 On Focus

    A

    Moving focus to an element never triggers an unexpected change, like a pop-up or a new page.

    Keyboard

  4. 3.2.2 On Input

    A

    Changing a setting, like a dropdown, doesn't unexpectedly change context unless users are told first.

    Manual reviewKeyboard

  5. 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation

    AA

    Navigation that repeats across pages appears in the same order every time.

    Manual review

  6. 3.2.4 Consistent Identification

    AA

    Components with the same function are labeled the same way across the site.

    Manual review

  7. 3.2.6 Consistent Help

    A

    Help options — contact details, chat, phone — appear in the same place on every page.

    Manual review

  8. 3.3.1 Error Identification

    A

    Form errors are identified and described in text, not only with color or an icon.

    Manual reviewScreen reader

  9. 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions

    A

    Every form field has a visible label or instructions.

    AutomatedManual review

  10. 3.3.3 Error Suggestion

    AA

    When an input error is detected, the site suggests how to fix it where it can.

    Manual review

  11. 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)

    AA

    Orders, payments, and legal submissions can be reviewed, corrected, or reversed before they're final.

    Manual review

  12. 3.3.7 Redundant Entry

    A

    Users aren't asked to re-enter information they already gave in the same process, like a shipping address.

    Manual review

  13. 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

    AA

    Logging in doesn't require a memory or transcription test unless there's an alternative — password managers and paste must work.

    Manual review

Robust 2 criteria

Assistive technology can read and operate it. 1 Level A · 1 Level AA

  1. 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

    A

    Custom controls — menus, tabs, toggles, modals — expose their name, role, and state to assistive technology.

    AutomatedManual reviewScreen reader

  2. 4.1.3 Status Messages

    AA

    Messages like “Added to cart” or “3 results found” are announced by screen readers without moving focus.

    Manual reviewScreen reader

Don't want to check 55 criteria yourself?

We audit your site by hand against every item on this list, rank the issues by risk, and fix them in your code — with a before-and-after report as proof.

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ADA website compliance checklist FAQ

Which WCAG version does the ADA require?

The ADA doesn't name a version for business websites. U.S. courts use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark, and WCAG 2.2 AA — the current W3C recommendation — is best practice. Meeting 2.2 AA also covers the 2.1 AA criteria, which is why this checklist uses it.

What changed in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 added six Level A and AA criteria to 2.1: Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11), Dragging Movements (2.5.7), Target Size (2.5.8), Consistent Help (3.2.6), Redundant Entry (3.3.7), and Accessible Authentication (3.3.8). It also removed 4.1.1 Parsing, which is now obsolete.

Can an automated checker complete this checklist?

No. Automated tools catch only 30–50% of WCAG issues. They can flag missing alt text or low contrast, but not whether alt text is meaningful, whether focus order makes sense, or whether a screen reader can complete your checkout. Most of this list needs a person.

Is this checklist enough to make my website ADA compliant?

It's the complete list of what WCAG 2.2 AA requires, but checking it properly takes manual code inspection, keyboard testing, and screen-reader testing on every template. If you'd rather not do it yourself, we audit every criterion and fix the issues in your code.

How do you make a website ADA compliant?

You bring it into WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA conformance at the code level: fixing color contrast, adding meaningful image alt text, labeling forms, and ensuring full keyboard and screen-reader operability. Automated tools find only 30–50% of issues, so a manual audit is required to do it properly.

What is WCAG? The standard explained

Start here

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