How to fix landmark banner is top level on BigCommerce
Ensure your site's banner landmark (<header> or role="banner") sits at the top level of the page, not nested inside another landmark region.
Steps for BigCommerce
- In your BigCommerce control panel, go to Storefront → My Themes → click Customize on your active theme, then open the Theme Editor; for code edits go to Storefront → My Themes → Advanced → Edit Theme Files.
- Open `templates/layout/base.html` (Cornerstone-based themes) — this is the master template that wraps all pages.
- Locate the `<header>` element (usually contains `id="header"` or similar). Confirm it is a direct child of `<body>`, not wrapped inside a `<main>` or other landmark element.
- If it is nested inside a landmark, move it to be a sibling of `<main>` at the top level under `<body>`.
- Save, push changes, and test with axe DevTools or the WAVE browser extension on a storefront page.
<header role="banner">
<!-- Site logo, main navigation, etc. -->
</header>
<main id="main-content">
<!-- Page content -->
</main>
<footer>
<!-- Footer content -->
</footer>
<!-- ✅ All three are direct children of <body> — correct structure -->
<!-- ❌ WRONG — banner nested inside <main>: -->
<!--
<main>
<header role="banner">...</header>
...
</main>
-->What is landmark banner is top level?
Every webpage has structural "landmarks" — named regions that screen readers and assistive technologies use to let users jump around the page quickly, similar to chapters in a book. The "banner" landmark is the one that identifies your site-wide header (logo, navigation, etc.). It must live directly inside the `<body>` of your HTML page, not wrapped inside another landmark like `<main>`, `<section>`, `<article>`, or `<aside>`. When it is accidentally nested inside another landmark, it breaks the expected page structure that screen readers rely on.
Screen reader users — including many people with visual impairments — rely on landmarks to navigate pages efficiently. When the banner landmark is nested incorrectly, assistive technologies may not recognize it as the site-wide header, making it impossible for those users to quickly find the top of your page or skip to main content. This is a WCAG 2.1 failure (Success Criterion 1.3.1 and 4.1.2), meaning it creates real legal accessibility risk in regions with accessibility laws (ADA, EN 301 549, UK Equality Act). Beyond compliance, fixing it improves the experience for the growing segment of shoppers using assistive technology — directly protecting your store from exclusion complaints and broadening your customer reach.
See the complete Landmark banner is top level guide for every platform and the full background.
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