How to fix presentation role conflict on BigCommerce

Steps for BigCommerce

1. In your BigCommerce admin, go to Storefront → My Themes → click Customize on your active theme → then Edit Theme Files (or download the theme ZIP and edit locally).
2. Search all Handlebars (.html) and JS template files for 'role="presentation"' and 'role="none"'.
3. For each match, inspect the element for co-occurring aria-* attributes or tabindex.
4. Remove the conflicting attribute following the decision logic in the generic steps, then save or re-upload the theme.
5. Preview the storefront and run an axe DevTools scan on the relevant page to confirm the conflict is resolved.
6. If the element comes from a third-party widget script, contact the widget vendor.

<!-- ❌ WRONG: role="presentation" conflicts with aria-label and tabindex -->
<div role="presentation" aria-label="decorative divider" tabindex="0">
  <img src="divider.png" alt="">
</div>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT (option A): purely decorative — remove all conflicting attributes -->
<div role="presentation">
  <img src="divider.png" alt="">
</div>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT (option B): element actually needs to be announced — remove the presentational role -->
<div aria-label="Section divider" tabindex="0">
  <img src="divider.png" alt="">
</div>

What is presentation role conflict?

In HTML, you can tell screen readers to ignore a purely decorative element by giving it `role="presentation"` or `role="none"`. However, if that same element also has global ARIA attributes (like `aria-label`, `aria-describedby`, `aria-hidden`, etc.) or a `tabindex` attribute, the browser and screen reader disagree about whether to expose the element — creating a conflict. Some screen readers will override the presentational role and announce the element anyway, while others will silently discard it, leading to unpredictable and often broken experiences for users who rely on assistive technology.

Screen reader users — including people with visual impairments — depend on a consistent, predictable page structure. When presentational-role conflicts exist, they can cause screen readers to announce decorative or layout elements that serve no informational purpose, cluttering the experience and confusing users. This violates WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value), which is a Level A requirement — the most basic level of accessibility compliance. Failing Level A criteria creates legal exposure under laws like the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the Equality Act (UK), and can result in lawsuits or regulatory complaints. Fixing these conflicts also demonstrates a baseline commitment to accessibility that protects your brand reputation and broadens your potential customer base.

See the complete Presentation role conflict guide for every platform and the full background.