How to fix avoid inline spacing on Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Steps for Adobe Commerce (Magento)

1. SSH into your server (or use your IDE) and search your active theme's template files for inline spacing: `grep -r 'style=' app/design/frontend/YourVendor/YourTheme/`.
2. Create or open your theme's `web/css/_module.less` (or `_extend.less`) and define a CSS class with the required spacing values.
3. In the corresponding `.phtml` template file, replace the `style="..."` attribute with `class="your-class"` on the affected element.
4. Run `bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy` and clear the cache with `bin/magento cache:clean` to ensure the new CSS is compiled and served.
5. If a third-party extension's template is the source, copy the template into your custom theme directory (following Magento's theme override pattern) and make the change there — never edit vendor files directly.
6. Verify with the axe browser extension on the front end.

What is avoid inline spacing?

When spacing properties like `line-height`, `letter-spacing`, `word-spacing`, or `margin-top`/`padding-top` are written directly onto an HTML element using a `style="..."` attribute, they become "locked in" — they cannot be overridden by a user's custom browser stylesheet or accessibility tool. WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.12 (Text Spacing) requires that users can adjust these four specific spacing properties without losing content or functionality. Inline styles break that guarantee because they have the highest CSS specificity, overriding even `!important` rules in many situations. The fix is to move those spacing values into an external or internal stylesheet (a CSS class), where they can be adjusted by assistive tools and user stylesheets.

People with dyslexia, low vision, or cognitive disabilities often rely on browser extensions or operating-system settings that increase line height, letter spacing, or word spacing to make text readable. When your store hard-codes these values as inline styles, those overrides are silently blocked — text can become unreadable or overlap other content, directly causing a visitor to abandon your store. This is a WCAG 2.1 Level AA failure, meaning it exposes you to legal risk under regulations like the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the UK Equality Act. It also affects the growing number of accessibility-overlay tools that customers use. Fixing it broadens your potential customer base, reduces legal exposure, and signals to search engines and auditors that your site meets modern quality standards.

See the complete Avoid inline spacing guide for every platform and the full background.