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Accessibility
How big must a button on a website be at minimum?
A button must be at least 24 by 24 pixels — that's what criterion 2.5.8 "Target Size (Minimum)", newly introduced with WCAG 2.2, requires. Smaller targets regularly get missed by people with shaky hands or wide fingers, especially on a phone. Exempt are links in running text and small targets with enough free space to their neighbouring targets.
24 by 24 pixels: the lower limit for hitting the target
A fingertip is less precise than a mouse click, and with tremors or limited fine motor control, the scatter grows further. If the target is too small, the tap lands off it — at best nothing happens, at worst the neighbouring link opens. Typical trouble spots are toolbars with tightly packed icons, tiny close crosses on notice pop-ups, and date fields in calendars. The 24 by 24 pixels here is the lower limit, not a comfort measure. The criterion allows two exceptions: links in running text may follow the text size, and small targets are permitted if enough free space remains around them so that no neighbouring target gets hit by accident.
How the audit service measures target sizes
The audit service measures the visible control elements on the page — links, buttons, form fields — at their actually rendered size, up to 300 targets per page. It applies the criterion's exceptions to every target that's too small: if it's a link in running text, it doesn't count; if a sufficient circle around its centre stays free of neighbouring targets, it doesn't count either. If at least one target under 24 by 24 pixels remains after that, the criterion counts as violated — the report states the number, the first affected element, and attaches a supporting screenshot. The sample size appears as a measurement note in the report.
- Test your website on a phone with your thumb: do you hit every icon in the header on the first try?
- Enlarge the tappable area of small icons using invisible padding — the icon may look small, but the area must be large.
- Check the close crosses on notice pop-ups and cookie banners — they're among the most common targets that are too small.
- Leave enough free space between neighbouring small targets when enlarging them isn't possible for design reasons.
FAQ
What minimum size does WCAG require for buttons?
Criterion 2.5.8 from WCAG 2.2 requires at least 24 by 24 pixels for control surfaces — buttons, linked icons, form elements. There are two exceptions: links in running text may follow the text size, and smaller targets are permitted if enough free space remains to the neighbouring targets. The measurement refers to the actual tappable area, not just the visible icon.
Why are buttons that are too small an accessibility problem?
Because hitting a target takes precision: a fingertip scatters more than a mouse click, and even more so with tremors, joint conditions, or on a moving bus. Targets that are too small get missed, or the neighbouring link gets hit instead — "open cart" turns into "sign out". Sufficiently large areas make operation safer for everyone, not just for people with impairments.
How can a small icon still meet the minimum size?
Through the tappable area: the visible icon may stay small, if the clickable area around it — via invisible padding — measures at least 24 by 24 pixels. Alternatively, the criterion is satisfied by sufficient free space to the neighbouring targets, so that a mistap lands on nothing instead of on the wrong link.