WCAG contrast requirements at a glance
| What | AA (minimum) | AAA (enhanced) |
|---|---|---|
| Normal text | 4.5:1 | 7:1 |
| Large text (24px, or 18.66px bold) | 3:1 | 4.5:1 |
| UI components & meaningful graphics (SC 1.4.11) | 3:1 | — |
| Logos, disabled controls, pure decoration | No requirement | |
On a pure white background, that means body text needs to be #767676 or darker, and input borders and icons need #949494 or darker. Off-white backgrounds lower every ratio slightly. Our accessibility guide has the exact limits for common near-whites, plus a table of white text on popular brand colors.
Contrast checker FAQ
WCAG 2.2 Level AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (24px, or 18.66px bold) and for UI components like input borders and icons. Level AAA requires 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text.
#767676 is the lightest neutral grey that passes AA for normal text on #FFFFFF (4.54:1). #949494 is the lightest for large text and UI borders (3.03:1). See the full table per background.
Each color is converted to relative luminance (L) using the sRGB formula from WCAG. The ratio is (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05), where L1 is the lighter color. It ranges from 1:1 (identical colors) to 21:1 (black on white).
WCAG thresholds are exact: 4.499:1 does not meet 4.5:1. This checker truncates the displayed value, so what you see never rounds up to a pass that isn't real.
Not yet. APCA is proposed for WCAG 3, which is still a draft. Legal and procurement requirements today (ADA, Section 508, EN 301 549, the European Accessibility Act) reference WCAG 2.x ratios, which is what this tool measures.