How to fix listitem on Squarespace

Steps for Squarespace

1. In the Squarespace editor, navigate to the page or section with the issue.
2. If the `<li>` is inside a Code Block (Insert → Code), click Edit on that block and wrap the orphaned `<li>` items in `<ul>…</ul>` in the code editor.
3. If the issue is in a text block, avoid manually typing list items as plain text — instead use the text editor's List button (bulleted or numbered) to create proper list formatting, which outputs valid `<ul>/<li>` HTML.
4. For Squarespace 7.1 sites using Custom CSS or Code Injection (Settings → Advanced → Code Injection), check the header/footer injection areas for any stray `<li>` tags and fix them there.
5. Save and preview the page, then verify with the axe browser extension.

<!-- ❌ WRONG: <li> with no list parent -->
<li>Free shipping over $50</li>
<li>30-day returns</li>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT: <li> items wrapped in <ul> -->
<ul>
  <li>Free shipping over $50</li>
  <li>30-day returns</li>
</ul>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT for navigation menus -->
<nav aria-label="Main">
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/shop">Shop</a></li>
    <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

What is listitem?

In HTML, a list item (`<li>`) is only meaningful when it lives inside a list container — either an unordered list (`<ul>`) or an ordered list (`<ol>`). When a `<li>` tag appears on its own, without that parent wrapper, the HTML is technically invalid and breaks the expected structure. This often happens when a developer copies a navigation menu, product feature list, or footer links and accidentally removes the surrounding `<ul>` or `<ol>` tags, or when a theme or page-builder outputs `<li>` tags outside of a proper list container.

Screen readers used by blind and low-vision shoppers rely on correct list structure to announce items as "list of 5 items" and let users jump between them efficiently. An orphaned `<li>` breaks that experience — the screen reader may skip the item entirely or read it confusingly, making navigation menus, feature bullet points, and product lists unusable. This violates WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), which is a Level A requirement — the lowest acceptable bar — meaning failing it creates real legal risk under laws like the ADA (US), AODA (Canada), and EAA (EU). Beyond legal exposure, an inaccessible store loses business from the estimated 1-in-5 shoppers who have a disability, and invalid HTML can subtly harm how search engines parse and index your page content.

See the complete Listitem guide for every platform and the full background.