landmark-no-duplicate-contentinfo
Web validation
contentinfo (footer) landmark.The contentinfo landmark identifies page‑wide meta information such as copyright notices, privacy or legal links, contact information, or a short “about” note. Screen‑reader users rely on it to jump directly to the end of a page.
Duplicating the landmark forces them to wade through clutter and guess which footer is the real one. ARIA guidance recommends a single role="contentinfo" per page, while HTML allows multiple <footer> elements. A native <footer> maps to contentinfo only when it is scoped to the <body>; footers nested inside <article>, <aside>, <main>, <nav>, or <section>, or inside an element with the equivalent role (article, complementary, main, navigation, or region), do not. If you explicitly add role="contentinfo" more than once, assistive technology will announce every instance, defeating quick navigation.
Pass Patterns
A page that contains one contentinfo landmark
The page contains one, and only one contentinfo region at the document level.
<div role="banner">Visit Your Local Zoo!</div>
<div role="main">
…main content…
</div>
<div role="contentinfo">
<p>Brought to you by North American Zoo Partnership</p>
</div>Fail Patterns
A page with multiple contentinfo landmarks
Multiple elements are given role="contentinfo", so a screen reader’s landmark list shows three “footer” items.
<main>
…article A…
<div role="contentinfo">
<p>Article credits</p>
</div>
</main>
<aside>
…article B…
<div role="contentinfo">
<p>More credits</p>
</div>
</aside>
<footer>
<p>Brought to you by North American Zoo Partnership</p>
</footer>Try It Yourself
Using a screen reader
New to screen reader testing, or need a refresher?
Review this article first: Practical guides for using screen readers
- Open the page in a desktop screen reader.
- Open the screen reader’s elements list (NVDA
Insert+F7, VoiceOverControl+Option+U), and go to the “Landmarks” section.
Expected results: The landmark list contains only one contentinfo element.
Actual results: The landmark list contains more than one contentinfo element.
FAQ
Why is this rule considered a best practice?
WCAG does not strictly forbid multiple contentinfo regions, yet a single landmark provides the clearest, most predictable navigation target. It aligns with ARIA guidance and mainstream assistive‑technology expectations.
Why is this issue marked as Moderate?
Duplicate contentinfo landmarks do not block access to core content, but they slow blind and keyboard‑only users who rely on landmarks to move efficiently. The frustration is noticeable across popular screen readers and browsers, justifying a moderate severity rating.