ARIA landmark
ARIA landmarks are HTML5 semantic elements (`<header>`, `<nav>`, `<main>`, `<aside>`, `<footer>`, `<form>`) and their `role=` equivalents that map to navigable page regions for screen-reader users.
Detailed explanation
Screen readers expose a "landmarks" navigation mode that lets users jump directly between regions of a page — header, navigation, main content, sidebar, footer — without traversing every interactive element. Proper landmark structure makes a page navigable in seconds rather than minutes.
HTML native elements (`<header>`, `<main>`, `<nav>`, etc.) can map to landmark roles depending on context. Pages generally have one main landmark; repeated navigation or complementary landmarks may need accessible labels so users can distinguish them. Header and footer semantics depend on where they are nested.
How this applies to Shopify stores
Themes built mostly from generic containers may provide too little landmark structure. AccessComply can flag selected missing or duplicate landmark patterns and present an eligible safely source-mapped candidate for merchant approval; the final hierarchy and labels still require page-level review.
What merchants should check next
Treat this term as a practical audit prompt, not just a definition. Check the storefront pages where the concept shows up in real customer journeys: product discovery, add-to-cart, cart drawer, checkout handoff, account login, and support contact flows. If the issue affects code, verify the rendered HTML and computed browser output after the theme change. If it affects copy or media, keep the merchant-facing wording accurate and easy to maintain.
Primary source: w3.org