Target Size (Minimum)
Interactive targets — buttons, links, form controls — must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels, unless an equivalent target on the same page is large enough or the target is in a sentence. New in WCAG 2.2.
What it asks
Every interactive control on the page must occupy a hit area of at least 24×24 CSS pixels — or have enough spacing around it that a 24×24 circle centred on the target wouldn’t intersect any other target. The intent is to prevent users with limited fine-motor control, tremor, or touchscreen-on-the-go from missing the target and triggering the wrong action.
WCAG 2.2 sets the minimum at 24×24; the existing AAA-level 2.5.5 keeps the more ambitious 44×44 target.
How to meet it
- Set a
min-width/min-heightof 24px on icon-only buttons, close buttons, and any tap target smaller than a typical button. - For inline links inside paragraphs, you are exempt — the SC explicitly allows targets “in a sentence.”
- For icon rows (toolbar buttons, table-row actions), use padding to push the hit area out to 24×24 even when the icon glyph is smaller.
- For controls that must remain visually small (a tiny “x” on a chip), add a margin/spacing buffer so adjacent targets are at least 24px away centre-to-centre.
- Audit pagination, breadcrumbs, table-row actions, and toolbar icons first — these are where the failures cluster.
Common failures
- 16×16 icon buttons (close, edit, delete) with no padding, especially in tables and toolbars.
- Tight pagination rows where Previous / 1 / 2 / 3 / Next sit in 18px boxes flush against each other.
- Custom checkboxes / radio buttons styled smaller than the native control for “minimalist” reasons.
- Floating action buttons on mobile that exceed 24×24 but sit too close to other tap targets.
- Tag-remove ”×” buttons sized 10–14 pixels — extremely common in chip-based filter UIs.
Exemptions worth knowing
The SC has five exceptions: equivalent (a larger target on the same page does the same thing), inline (in a sentence), user-agent control (browser default, e.g. native <select>), essential (the small size is required to convey the information, e.g. a map pin), and conformant (a more general rule forces the size — rare).
Why it matters
Target-size failures show up disproportionately in mobile testing and for users with Parkinson’s, essential tremor, multiple sclerosis, or anyone using a touchscreen one-handed on a train. The change from “no minimum” in 2.1 to a 24×24 floor in 2.2 caught most production sites unaware — expect this to be the most-cited new SC in 2026 audits.