How to fix presentation role conflict on Squarespace

Steps for Squarespace

1. In Squarespace, most HTML is auto-generated. Open your Pages panel, navigate to the affected page, and click Edit.
2. If you added a Code Block containing the conflicting element, click that block to open it and edit the raw HTML — remove the conflicting ARIA attribute or tabindex per the generic steps.
3. If it's in a built-in Squarespace component (e.g. gallery, slideshow), you cannot edit that HTML directly. Instead, go to Website → Custom CSS / Inject Code (Settings → Advanced → Code Injection) and check whether any custom code snippet introduced the conflict.
4. Remove or correct the conflicting snippet in Code Injection or the Custom CSS area.
5. Preview and verify using the axe browser extension.

<!-- ❌ 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.