How to fix avoid inline spacing on Shopify

Steps for Shopify

1. Go to Online Store → Themes → click the three-dot menu next to your active theme → Edit code.
2. Open the relevant template file (e.g. `templates/product.liquid`, `sections/featured-product.liquid`) and search for `style=` to locate inline spacing properties.
3. Open `assets/base.css` (or your theme's main CSS file, often `assets/theme.css`) and add a new CSS class with the spacing values.
4. Back in the template file, replace the `style="..."` attribute with `class="your-new-class"` on each affected element.
5. Save both files. Preview the theme and use the axe browser extension to confirm the rule is resolved.
6. If a Shopify app (page builder, reviews widget, etc.) injects the inline styles, use the app's own style settings, or add a corrective rule in Online Store → Themes → Customize → Custom CSS (or `assets/custom.css`).

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.