1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) — WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A): what it requires, a common e-commerce accessibility failure, and how to fix it.
This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines hub → Perceivable → 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded)
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A)
What it requires: Prerecorded video with a soundtrack (dialogue, narration, meaningful sound effects) needs synchronized captions.
Common failure: A product-demo or founder video on a landing page has no captions at all, or ships with auto-generated captions full of misrecognized words that were never reviewed.
Fix it: Add accurate, synchronized closed captions to every prerecorded video with audio. Auto-generated captions are a starting draft, not a finished deliverable — review and correct them before publishing.
In 1.2 Time-based Media: ← 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) · 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) →
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This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a person for accuracy before publication.