How to fix landmark banner is top level on Shopify
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 Shopify
- In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes → click the '...' (Actions) menu next to your active theme → Edit code.
- Open the file `layout/theme.liquid` — this is the master page wrapper that controls the HTML structure for every page.
- Search for your `<header>` tag (or any element with `role="banner"`). Confirm it appears as a direct child of `<body>`, not wrapped inside a `<main>`, `<section>`, `<div role="main">`, or similar landmark.
- If the `<header>` is inside a landmark wrapper, cut and paste it to be directly under the opening `<body>` tag, outside any landmark-carrying elements.
- Save the file, then preview the theme and re-run axe DevTools or WAVE on a live page to verify the banner is now top-level.
<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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