2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) — WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (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 → Operable → 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)
What it requires: Moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating content that starts automatically and lasts more than 5 seconds needs a way for the user to pause, stop, or hide it.
Common failure: An auto-rotating homepage carousel of promotions cycles every few seconds with no visible pause control, making it hard for a user with a reading or attention-related disability to finish reading a slide before it changes.
Fix it: Add a visible, keyboard-accessible pause/play control to any auto-advancing carousel, ticker, or auto-updating content block, and consider defaulting to paused.
In 2.2 Enough Time: ← 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable · 2.2.3 No Timing →
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.