How to fix presentation role conflict on Webflow

Steps for Webflow

1. Open the Webflow Designer and select the element flagged by the accessibility checker (use the Navigator panel to find it by tag/class).
2. With the element selected, open the Element Settings panel (the gear icon, 'D' shortcut) and scroll to the Custom Attributes section.
3. Review any custom attributes set: if role="presentation" or role="none" is present alongside an aria-* attribute or tabindex, remove the conflicting attribute(s).
4. If the element is a decorative image, open the Image Settings and check the 'Decorative image' checkbox — Webflow will automatically add alt="" and remove conflicting roles/labels.
5. Publish your site and run axe DevTools in Chrome to verify the fix.

What is presentation role conflict?

When an HTML element is given `role="presentation"` or `role="none"`, it signals to screen readers: "ignore this element — it carries no meaning, it's only here for visual layout." However, if that same element also carries global ARIA attributes (like `aria-label`, `aria-describedby`, `aria-hidden`, etc.) or a `tabindex`, a direct conflict is created. The browser and screen reader receive two contradictory instructions at once: "treat this as meaningless" and "here's meaningful information about it." Different screen readers resolve this conflict differently — some honour the role and ignore the ARIA, others do the opposite — leading to unpredictable and broken experiences for assistive-technology users.

Screen reader users — including many shoppers who are blind or have low vision — may hear garbled, repeated, or missing announcements when navigating your store if this conflict exists on interactive or decorative elements. This directly harms conversions by making it harder to browse products, read descriptions, or complete checkout. Under WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value), this is a recognized failure that can create legal exposure under accessibility laws such as the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the Equality Act (UK). Resolving it also improves your overall accessibility audit score, which is increasingly scrutinized in enterprise purchasing decisions and legal compliance reviews.

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