WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size

Touch targets should be at least 44×44 CSS pixels with adequate spacing.

How to apply it

Add invisible padding to small icons; never rely on icon size alone for the hit area.

WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size in practice: a concrete example

The difference between “feels fine” and “conforms”

Design intuition says make targets comfortable; WCAG turns that into a checkable rule. Success Criterion 2.5.5 (AAA) asks for at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels, while the AA-level 2.5.8 sets a 24px floor with spacing exceptions. The value of a number is that it is auditable and, in many markets, tied to legal accessibility duties. “Looks tappable” is a matter of opinion; “44 by 44 CSS px with adequate spacing” either passes or it doesn't.

Common WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size mistakes

Meeting the size in isolation but placing targets with no spacing, when the criterion weighs size and spacing together.
Measuring the visible icon rather than the actual clickable box, which is what the pixel requirement refers to.
Assuming inline text links are exempt from every target rule; they have carve-outs, but the surrounding controls still need to conform.

When WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size doesn't apply

The criterion itself defines the exemptions: inline links inside a sentence, targets whose size is set by the browser, and cases with an equivalent alternative control are not held to the pixel floor. This is about conformance, not taste, so treat the exceptions as the standard writes them rather than inventing your own reasons to fall short.

Practise it on a real challenge

Toolbar — users keep hitting Delete by mistake

An editing toolbar packs 24px icons 4px apart, with 'Delete' right beside 'Edit'. People keep destroying work they only meant to change.

WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size

How to apply it