Main Landmark
The tool checks that each page exposes one clear "main content" region. Screen reader users rely on that region to jump straight to the content of the page, skipping the header, the navigation and any banners. When it is missing, hidden, or duplicated, that shortcut stops working and the user has to walk through the whole page to find where the content begins.
What the tool checks
There must be exactly one main region on the page, and it must be visible.
A main region is either a <main> element or any element marked with role="main". Both count the same.
Why it matters
Screen readers offer a "go to main content" command. Keyboard users often rely on a skip link that points at the same region. If the page does not declare one — or declares several — that command has nowhere to go, or lands somewhere unpredictable. The user is left tabbing through the menu on every single page.
When it reports an issue
The tool reports a problem in three situations:
| Situation | What the user experiences |
|---|---|
| No main region at all | The "go to main content" shortcut does nothing |
| The main region is hidden | The shortcut jumps to something the user cannot see |
| More than one visible main region | The page has no single starting point; the shortcut is ambiguous |
A region counts as hidden when it is removed from view with display: none, visibility: hidden, the hidden attribute, or aria-hidden="true".
Reporting is grouped to match the problem: a missing region produces one issue for the page, several visible regions produce one issue for the page, and a hidden region produces one issue per element found.
When it stays quiet
- Exactly one visible main region — the expected result.
- Hidden regions in single-page applications. Many SPAs keep several screens in the page at once and only show one at a time. The tool only counts the region that is actually visible when it looks, so the hidden ones are not treated as duplicates.
What the report says
Title: The page does not define a valid main landmark
Description: The page does not expose a valid main landmark: no main landmark is present, or the main landmark is hidden, or multiple main landmarks are visible.
Expected result: The page should expose exactly one visible and accessible main landmark that defines the primary content region.
WCAG checkpoint: 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships
Issue type: Structure / Landmarks
How to verify it by hand
- Open the page and turn on a screen reader (NVDA, JAWS or VoiceOver).
- Navigate by landmarks — the D key in NVDA, or the landmarks rotor in VoiceOver.
- Confirm that exactly one "main" region is announced, and that it wraps the actual content of the page rather than the header or a sidebar.
Known limitations
- The tool sees one moment in time. It evaluates the page as it stands when the check runs. Content that appears later, or a screen change in a single-page application that happens afterwards, is not re-evaluated.
- It checks that the region exists, not that it is the right one. The tool does not judge whether the content inside the main region is actually the main content of the page. A
<main>wrapped around a sidebar passes.
WCAG reference
Success Criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)