All WCAG criteria
WCAG 1.2.5 · PerceivableLevel AA

1.2.5Audio Description (Prerecorded)

Prerecorded video must have an audio-description track (not just a text alternative — actual narration of visuals during pauses).

Common failures

Patterns that fail this criterion.

  • 01Product video with on-screen labels never spoken in narration
  • 02Tutorial showing cursor movements without describing them aloud
How to test

Testing approach: manual.

Manual — listen with eyes closed; confirm the spoken track conveys the meaningful visual content.

How to fix

Remediation steps.

  1. 1

    Script audio description

    Review the video, identify visual moments that need narration, write the description.

  2. 2

    Record description track

    Either a separate AD audio track in the player, or a separate "described version" of the video file.

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Related criteria

Often appears with…

WCAG 1.2.3 · Level A

Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

All 50 WCAG 2.1 Level A + AA success criteria explained.

View the full checklist