How to fix definition list on WooCommerce

Steps for WooCommerce

1. Product specification/attribute lists are often output by WooCommerce core as `<table>` elements, but custom themes or page builders may use `<dl>`. Identify the source by inspecting the page HTML in your browser (right-click → Inspect).
2. If the `<dl>` is in a theme template file, locate it under Appearance → Theme File Editor (or via FTP/SFTP in your theme folder). Common files: 'woocommerce/single-product/tabs/additional-information.php' or a custom snippet.
3. Edit the PHP/HTML template to ensure the `<dl>` contains only `<dt>` and `<dd>` children. Use child-theme overrides (place the file in your child theme's 'woocommerce/' folder) so updates don't overwrite your changes.
4. If the `<dl>` originates from a page-builder block (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder), open the block editor, switch to the HTML/Code view of that element, and correct the markup directly.
5. Save, clear any caching plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache), and validate with axe DevTools or WAVE.

<!-- ✅ 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.