How to fix landmark banner is top level on WooCommerce
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 WooCommerce
- In your WordPress admin, go to Appearance → Theme File Editor (or use a child theme via FTP/SFTP to avoid losing changes on theme update).
- Open `header.php` in your active (child) theme. This file contains the `<header>` element that renders the banner landmark.
- Check that the `<header>` (or element with `role="banner"`) is opened in `header.php` and closed before any `<main>` element opens in `index.php` / `page.php` / `single.php`.
- If a plugin or page builder is wrapping the entire page layout (e.g., a `<section>` or `<div role="main">` that starts above the `<header>`), edit or disable that wrapper in the relevant template or plugin settings.
- Save changes and verify with axe DevTools or WAVE that the banner landmark is now a top-level region.
<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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