WCAGstandardid

WCAGstandardid is a label used in data models and documentation to reference a specific WCAG standard, version, or set of criteria within a resource. It is not an official term published by the W3C or the WCAG working groups, but rather a convention adopted by organizations to map content or tests to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

In practice, a WCAGstandardid is implemented as a string or metadata value. Examples include values like "WCAG-2.1" to denote the WCAG 2.1 guidelines, or project-specific codes that point to a particular criterion or understanding document. When used in metadata, this identifier helps automated evaluation tools, content managers, and accessibility statements unambiguously indicate which requirements are addressed and which version of the guidelines is being applied.

Relation to WCAG structure: WCAG is organized around Principles, Guidelines, and Success Criteria. A WCAGstandardid may reference the version and scope of the guidelines in use and can be mapped in systems to human-readable descriptions or to test procedures. Some implementations prefer using URIs or standardized vocabularies to provide a stable reference to the official documents.

Guidance and considerations: Use consistent formatting for the identifiers and document the mapping between the ID and the official WCAG text. Update the ID when adopting a newer version of WCAG, and maintain versioned records to avoid ambiguity as guidelines evolve. While practical, WCAGstandardid is a convention, not an official WCAG specification, and should be documented clearly within projects.