How to fix region on WooCommerce
Wrap all visible page content inside HTML landmark elements (such as `<main>`, `<nav>`, `<header>`, `<footer>`, or ARIA `role` attributes) so screen-reader users can navigate your store efficiently.
Steps for WooCommerce
- Landmark structure is controlled by your active WordPress theme, not WooCommerce itself. In WordPress Admin go to Appearance → Theme File Editor (or use a code editor via FTP/SSH).
- Open `header.php` and confirm the site header uses `<header role="banner">` and navigation uses `<nav aria-label="Primary">` (the `wp_nav_menu()` call should be inside this).
- Open `footer.php` and confirm the footer is wrapped in `<footer role="contentinfo">`.
- Open `index.php`, `page.php`, `single.php`, and WooCommerce template overrides under `woocommerce/` — ensure each wraps its content in `<main id="main" role="main">`.
- If you use a page builder (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder), switch to its editor and check that sections are placed inside the theme's `<main>` region; many builders inject content outside it. Use the builder's 'HTML tag' or 'wrapper tag' setting on each section to set semantic tags, or install the 'Accessibility Checker' plugin (Equalize Digital) to pinpoint violations.
- Re-run axe DevTools or WAVE on the frontend to confirm all content is inside landmarks.
<header role="banner">
<nav aria-label="Main menu"><!-- navigation links --></nav>
</header>
<main id="main-content" role="main">
<!-- all primary page content goes here -->
</main>
<aside role="complementary" aria-label="Promotions">
<!-- sidebar or supplementary content -->
</aside>
<footer role="contentinfo">
<!-- footer links and legal text -->
</footer>
<!-- If a div cannot become a semantic element: -->
<div role="region" aria-label="Customer Reviews">
<!-- review content -->
</div>What is region?
Landmarks are special HTML tags or ARIA attributes that divide a web page into named regions — like the main content area, navigation menu, page header, and footer. Screen readers and other assistive technologies use these regions as a table of contents, letting users jump directly to the part of the page they need. When content sits outside any landmark, assistive technology users cannot locate or skip to it. This is what the "region" accessibility rule checks: it flags any significant block of content that is not wrapped in one of these landmark containers.
Approximately 7 million Americans use screen readers, and landmarks are one of the most fundamental navigation tools they rely on. Without them, a screen-reader user must listen to your entire page linearly just to find the product listing or checkout button — a frustrating experience that causes them to leave. Beyond lost sales, WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.6 (and the broader WCAG framework) requires content to be programmatically determinable; failure exposes your store to ADA/Section 508 accessibility complaints and litigation, which are rising year-on-year in the US and EU (EAA 2025). Search engines also use landmark structure to understand page hierarchy, so fixing this can modestly reinforce your on-page SEO signals as well.
See the complete Region guide for every platform and the full background.
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