How to fix definition list on Squarespace

Steps for Squarespace

1. Open the Pages panel and edit the affected page. Squarespace does not expose raw theme HTML, but you can inject corrected markup via a Code Block.
2. If the `<dl>` is inside a Code Block: click the block → Edit, switch to HTML view, and fix the markup so only `<dt>` and `<dd>` elements are direct children of `<dl>`.
3. If the `<dl>` is being generated by a Squarespace native block (e.g., a Summary or Product block), you cannot edit its HTML directly. Instead, replace it with a Code Block containing a correctly structured `<dl>` and apply matching CSS under Design → Custom CSS.
4. For site-wide injection (e.g., a footer spec list), go to Settings → Advanced → Code Injection and add or correct the markup there.
5. Save and preview, then rerun your accessibility scanner to confirm the fix.

<!-- ✅ CORRECT: valid <dl> structure -->
<dl>
  <div>
    <dt>Material</dt>
    <dd>100% Organic Cotton</dd>
  </div>
  <div>
    <dt>Weight</dt>
    <dd>180 gsm</dd>
  </div>
</dl>

<!-- ❌ INCORRECT: stray <p> and <span> directly inside <dl> -->
<dl>
  <p>Product Specs</p>      <!-- not allowed here -->
  <span>Material</span>    <!-- not a <dt> -->
  <dd>100% Organic Cotton</dd>
</dl>

What is definition list?

A definition list (`<dl>`) is a special HTML structure designed to pair terms with their descriptions — for example, a product spec sheet listing "Material: Cotton" or "Size: Medium". The rules for what can go inside a `<dl>` are strict: it may only contain `<dt>` (the term) and `<dd>` (the description) elements, optionally wrapped in `<div>` groupings. When a theme or page builder drops in extra tags, plain text, or skips required children, the list becomes "malformed." WCAG Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) requires that information conveyed visually through structure also be conveyed correctly in the underlying code so assistive technologies can interpret it.

Screen readers used by blind or low-vision shoppers rely on correct HTML structure to announce lists properly — for example, "term 1 of 3: Material, definition: Cotton." A malformed `<dl>` breaks that announcement, so the information becomes meaningless noise or is skipped entirely, directly harming the shopping experience for those customers. From a legal standpoint, WCAG 1.3.1 is a Level A criterion — the baseline — meaning this is one of the failures most likely to appear in an accessibility audit, complaint, or lawsuit (ADA Title III, EN 301 549, UK Equality Act). Search engines also use semantic HTML to understand your page content; clean, structured markup around product details like specifications and FAQs can improve how that content is indexed and displayed in rich results.

See the complete Definition list guide for every platform and the full background.