How to fix landmark main is top level on Squarespace

Steps for Squarespace

1. Squarespace controls its own HTML landmark structure; you cannot directly reorder `<main>` vs. `<header>` through the visual editor.
2. Go to Pages → select a page → click Edit, and ensure your main content sections/blocks are not placed inside a Header or Footer content area.
3. Navigate to Website → Pages → Website Tools → Custom CSS or inject code via Settings → Advanced → Code Injection: add a diagnostic script only (you cannot rewrite landmark tags via CSS injection).
4. If the violation originates from a Squarespace template bug (some older templates wrap content inside header regions), switch to a newer Fluid Engine template, which has improved semantic structure.
5. For code blocks, avoid adding `role` attributes that could create extra landmarks wrapping your content.
6. Report persistent template-level violations to Squarespace support, referencing the landmark-main-is-top-level WCAG rule.

What is landmark main is top level?

Every webpage should have exactly one "main" landmark — the HTML `<main>` tag or any element with `role="main"` — that tells assistive technologies like screen readers "this is where the primary content begins." The WCAG rule `landmark-main-is-top-level` fires when that `<main>` landmark is accidentally placed inside another landmark element (such as `<header>`, `<nav>`, `<section>`, `<aside>`, or `<footer>`) instead of being a direct child of `<body>`. Think of landmarks like a building's floor plan: the "main hall" should open directly off the entrance, not be hidden inside a closet inside a side room.

Screen-reader users rely on landmark navigation to jump straight to the main content, skipping repetitive menus and headers — a fundamental assistive-technology workflow. When `<main>` is buried inside another landmark, screen readers mis-report the page structure, the "skip to content" shortcut may stop working, and keyboard-only users are forced to tab through every navigation item on every page. This directly harms the browsing experience for customers with disabilities and exposes your store to legal risk under laws tied to WCAG 2.1 compliance (ADA in the US, EN 301 549 in the EU, AODA in Canada, and equivalents worldwide). Fixing it is also a positive signal for Google's accessibility-aware ranking considerations and demonstrates a technically well-structured page to crawlers.

See the complete Landmark main is top level guide for every platform and the full background.