axe-core rule: list

Lists contain elements that do not belong in a list

Fix reference | BarrierScan

What it is

A ul or ol element directly contains content other than li elements (or script/template), which breaks how assistive technology announces the list.

Who it blocks

Screen reader users rely on list semantics ("list, 5 items") to understand structure and skip through content. Broken markup makes counts wrong or hides items.

How to fix it

Make sure ul and ol elements contain only li children. Move stray divs or text inside an li, or out of the list.

Example fix

<!-- Before -->
<ul>
  <li>Shipping</li>
  <div class="divider"></div>
  <li>Returns</li>
</ul>

<!-- After -->
<ul>
  <li>Shipping</li>
  <li class="divider-after">Returns</li>
</ul>

This is one of the barrier types BarrierScan checks for on every scan. Request a free accessibility scan to see whether it appears on your site, alongside the rest of the automated findings.