Published October 12, 2026

WCAG 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), Level AA

Does WCAG require buttons to be 44 pixels?

No. At Level AA, WCAG 2.2 requires a pointer target of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with listed exceptions. The 44 by 44 size is a different criterion, 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced), and it is Level AAA. Success criterion 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) was added in WCAG 2.2. The text is in the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation.

What size does Level AA require?

A target passes the size test when a 24 by 24 CSS pixel square, aligned to the page, fits inside it. The measurement is CSS pixels, not the physical pixels on a phone screen. The W3C explanation is in Understanding Success Criterion 2.5.8. The criterion applies to pointer inputs, such as a mouse, a pen, or a finger. Operating the same control from the keyboard is a separate check, covered on the keyboard access page. Checkout and filter controls are a common place this shows up, covered on the online stores page.

When can a smaller target still pass?

Five exceptions are written into 2.5.8. A control smaller than 24 by 24 CSS pixels can still conform when one of them applies:

• Spacing. A 24 CSS pixel diameter circle centered on the target’s bounding box does not overlap another target, or the circle of another undersized target.
• Equivalent. Another control on the same page does the same job and meets the criterion.
• Inline. The target is inside a sentence, or its size is constrained by the line height of the surrounding text.
• User agent control. The browser sets the size, and the author has not changed it.
• Essential. The size or position is required to convey the information, such as pins on a map.

Why is 44 pixels a different rule?

Criterion 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced) asks for at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels. It is Level AAA, and it was already in WCAG 2.1. Level AA does not require it. A design system can aim for 44 CSS pixels as a practice for important controls. That choice is stricter than 2.5.8. Citing 44 pixels as the AA requirement mixes the two levels. The AAA text is in the WCAG 2.2 Recommendation. Which version a contract should name is on the WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2 page.

Does zooming the page meet the requirement?

No. Understanding 2.5.8 says the requirement does not change with the zoom factor, because the CSS pixel size of the target does not change when someone zooms. A 16 by 16 CSS pixel icon that is easy to tap only after zoom still fails, unless an exception applies. A row of those icons with no gap also fails the spacing exception, because the 24 CSS pixel circles overlap. Zoom that forces two-direction scrolling is a separate check under reflow.

Does the Title II web rule include target size?

The Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That version has no minimum target size. Criterion 2.5.8 is part of WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Who must comply, and the April 2027 and April 2028 dates, are on the Title II web rule page. A scanner can measure a box. It often cannot tell whether the spacing, inline, equivalent, or essential exception applies. Those checks are done by a person, which is why a passing score is not conformance, as covered on the scanner page. The fix belongs in the component styles, which is remediation.