What is the WCAG 2.1 AA checklist?

A working list of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA success criteria, as published by the W3C at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/. The full Level AA set is about 50 criteria. The critical-priority subset that drives most ADA demand letter allegations is roughly 12 criteria — the ones automated scanners flag most reliably.

Do I need to meet every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion?

Conformance statements require meeting all Level A and Level AA criteria. In practice, the criteria that matter for ADA Title III defense are the ones plaintiff firms cite, which map closely to what axe DevTools and WAVE detect. Hitting those first is the 80/20 of compliance.

Is there a free tool to check WCAG 2.1 AA?

Yes. axe DevTools (Chrome extension, free), WAVE by WebAIM (https://wave.webaim.org), and Google Lighthouse built into Chrome's DevTools all test a meaningful subset of WCAG 2.1 criteria. None catches everything. For the criteria that require human judgment (alt text appropriateness, heading logic), manual testing is still required.

What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 Level A, AA, and AAA?

Level A is the minimum baseline (about 30 criteria). Level AA is the standard most regulators and courts reference (adds about 20 more). Level AAA is the strictest and often impractical for general content. ADA demand letters almost always cite Level AA. If a letter cites only Level A, the bar is lower and the claim is weaker.

How do I prove my website meets WCAG 2.1 AA?

Conformance cannot be 'proven' absolutely — the W3C's own guidance acknowledges this. What you can do is run a documented audit, fix critical findings, publish a specific accessibility statement with known limitations, and maintain a dated remediation log. That pattern is what courts have accepted as good-faith effort under Title III.

Compliance Basics

Free WCAG 2.1 AA Checklist for Small Business Websites

Every WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criterion that comes up in automated scanner findings, grouped by priority. Printable. Free. No email required.

Published by Startvest LLC SDVOSBApril 17, 20266 min read

The full WCAG 2.1 Level AA specification has about 50 success criteria. Most small businesses do not need to master all 50. They need to pass the 12 that automated scanners flag reliably and that plaintiff firms cite in ADA demand letters.

This is that list, in priority order, with the test you can run yourself in under an hour. No email required, no download gate. Reference it, print it, share it with your web developer.

Priority 1: The scanner-flagged criteria

These are the criteria that appear in almost every demand letter because automated tools detect them reliably. Fix these first.

1. Images have alternative text (1.1.1 Non-text Content, Level A)

Every image that conveys information needs an alt attribute describing it. Decorative images get alt="". A product photo, a logo, an infographic, a screenshot — all need descriptive alt text.

Test: Run axe DevTools. "Images must have alternate text" violation = this.

2. Links have discernible names (2.4.4 Link Purpose in Context, Level A)

"Click here" and "Read more" violate this when the link target is not clear from context. Every link should describe what happens when you click it.

Test: Run WAVE. "Empty link" or "Suspicious link text" alerts = this.

3. Form inputs have labels (1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 4.1.2 Name Role Value, Level A)

Every <input>, <select>, and <textarea> needs a programmatically associated <label> or aria-label. Placeholder text does not count as a label.

Test: Run axe. "Form elements must have labels" violation = this.

4. Color contrast meets 4.5:1 (1.4.3 Contrast Minimum, Level AA)

Normal-size text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) needs 3:1.

Test: Run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools. Accessibility audit will flag contrast failures.

5. Heading structure is logical (1.3.1, 2.4.6, Level A/AA)

One <h1> per page. <h2> for major sections. <h3> inside <h2> sections. No skipping levels. No using headings just for visual styling.

Test: Install HeadingsMap browser extension. Skipped levels and out-of-order headings = this.

6. Pages have a document `<title>` (2.4.2 Page Titled, Level A)

Every page needs a descriptive <title> element that identifies both the page content and the site.

Test: View page source. Missing or generic <title> (like "Untitled") = this.

7. HTML has a language attribute (3.1.1 Language of Page, Level A)

<html lang="en"> (or the appropriate language code) on every page.

Test: View page source. No lang attribute on <html> = this.

Every page needs a way for keyboard users to skip the navigation and jump to the main content. Usually a link that appears on keyboard focus.

Test: Press Tab on any page. If the first focusable element is not a "Skip to content" link, this is missing.

9. All functionality works with keyboard (2.1.1 Keyboard, Level A)

Every interactive element must be usable without a mouse. Tab navigation, Enter/Space activation.

Test: Tab through your site start to finish. Places you cannot reach or activate with keyboard = this.

10. Focus is visible (2.4.7 Focus Visible, Level AA)

The currently focused element must be clearly visible. A common failure is designers removing focus outlines with outline: none.

Test: Tab through your site. If you cannot see where focus is, this is missing.

11. Content does not auto-play beyond 5 seconds (2.2.2 Pause Stop Hide, Level A)

Auto-playing carousels, auto-rotating testimonials, background animations. If content moves or updates automatically for more than five seconds, users need a way to pause or stop it.

Test: Load each page. Note any auto-moving content. If it lacks a pause control, this is missing.

12. Form errors are identified (3.3.1 Error Identification, 3.3.3 Error Suggestion, Level A/AA)

When a form input is rejected, the error must be explained in text, associated with the field, and suggest how to correct.

Test: Submit a form with bad data. If the error is color-only or unclear, this is missing.

Priority 2: The criteria that require human judgment

Automated scanners miss these. Plaintiff firms allege them in more substantive cases.

1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded video), Level A — every prerecorded video needs captions. Auto-generated YouTube captions alone are usually not sufficient.
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose, Level AA — inputs asking for common data (name, email, address) should declare their autocomplete purpose.
1.4.10 Reflow, Level AA — content must reflow to a 320px viewport without horizontal scrolling.
1.4.11 Non-text Contrast, Level AA — UI components (borders, icons, form field edges) need 3:1 contrast.
1.4.12 Text Spacing, Level AA — text must remain readable when users override spacing (line height, paragraph spacing, letter spacing).
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap, Level A — keyboard users must be able to navigate away from any element they reach.
2.5.3 Label in Name, Level A — accessible names for controls must include the visible text label.
3.2.4 Consistent Identification, Level AA — the same icon or label should identify the same function everywhere on the site.

Priority 3: Less common findings

These are rarely cited alone but appear in thorough audit reports.

1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence
1.3.4 Orientation
1.4.4 Resize Text
1.4.5 Images of Text
2.4.3 Focus Order
2.4.5 Multiple Ways
2.4.6 Headings and Labels
3.1.2 Language of Parts
3.2.3 Consistent Navigation
4.1.3 Status Messages

The full WCAG 2.1 quick reference from the W3C lists all 50 criteria with test procedures.

The three-pass audit

Priority 1 test procedure. Should take an hour for a small site.

Pass 1. Run axe DevTools on your top 10 pages. Save screenshots of every violation. Fix each with your developer.

Pass 2. Tab through those same pages keyboard-only. Note every place the focus ring disappears, every element you cannot reach, every flow you cannot complete.

Pass 3. Install NVDA (free, Windows) or VoiceOver (built-in, Mac). Work through a full purchase or form flow. Listen for unlabeled fields, images without alt text, headings that do not match page structure.

Zero critical findings from all three passes is meaningfully compliant for the purposes of most ADA demand letters. Any critical finding is a required fix.

What this checklist does not replace

A formal conformance audit, either internal using the WCAG-EM methodology or external from an accessibility firm, is stronger evidence than a self-test. For Title III defense documentation, the formal audit is recommended at least annually.

This checklist is the minimum viable test. It gets you from "probably has scanner findings" to "passes what plaintiff firms look for" in an afternoon.

If you are building the compliance record the ADA good faith effort standard expects, this checklist is document 3 of 9. See our full documentation checklist for the complete paper trail.

Published by Startvest LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. Updated 2026-04-17. This article is general information, not legal advice.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the WCAG 2.1 AA checklist?: A working list of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA success criteria, as published by the W3C at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/. The full Level AA set is about 50 criteria. The critical-priority subset that drives most ADA demand letter allegations is roughly 12 criteria — the ones automated scanners flag most reliably.
Do I need to meet every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion?: Conformance statements require meeting all Level A and Level AA criteria. In practice, the criteria that matter for ADA Title III defense are the ones plaintiff firms cite, which map closely to what axe DevTools and WAVE detect. Hitting those first is the 80/20 of compliance.
Is there a free tool to check WCAG 2.1 AA?: Yes. axe DevTools (Chrome extension, free), WAVE by WebAIM (https://wave.webaim.org), and Google Lighthouse built into Chrome's DevTools all test a meaningful subset of WCAG 2.1 criteria. None catches everything. For the criteria that require human judgment (alt text appropriateness, heading logic), manual testing is still required.
What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 Level A, AA, and AAA?: Level A is the minimum baseline (about 30 criteria). Level AA is the standard most regulators and courts reference (adds about 20 more). Level AAA is the strictest and often impractical for general content. ADA demand letters almost always cite Level AA. If a letter cites only Level A, the bar is lower and the claim is weaker.
How do I prove my website meets WCAG 2.1 AA?: Conformance cannot be 'proven' absolutely — the W3C's own guidance acknowledges this. What you can do is run a documented audit, fix critical findings, publish a specific accessibility statement with known limitations, and maintain a dated remediation log. That pattern is what courts have accepted as good-faith effort under Title III.