1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA) — WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA): 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 → 1.4.10 Reflow
1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA)
What it requires: Content has to work at 320 CSS pixels wide (roughly a phone screen at 400% zoom on a standard desktop display) without needing to scroll in two directions. Content that inherently needs a 2D layout (data tables, maps) is exempt.
Common failure: A product comparison page becomes horizontally scrollable at high zoom because it’s built with a fixed-width layout instead of a responsive one, forcing the user to scroll both down and sideways to read it.
Fix it: Build with responsive layout techniques (fluid grids, flex-wrap, media queries) so single-column content reflows vertically instead of triggering horizontal scroll at high zoom or on narrow viewports.
In 1.4 Distinguishable: ← 1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception) · 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast →
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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.