In one paragraph
DT and DD elements must be contained by a DL means the tested term or description lacks the expected description-list relationship. Use a valid dl with meaningful term-description groups, or choose different markup when the content is not that kind of relationship. Preserve styling without adding arbitrary roles to bypass the rule. Assistive-technology announcements vary, so verify structure rather than promising one universal spoken count.
Why it matters
Description lists express groups of terms and descriptions, including suitable metadata and glossary entries. They can contain more than one term or description in a group; a rigid one-term-to-one-value assumption does not describe every valid use.
Their value is semantic association, not a guaranteed announcement identical to an ordinary bullet list. Screen readers expose description lists differently, and some do not provide the same navigation commands they offer for ul and ol. Correct markup supports interpretation without controlling every user-agent choice.
A component returning dt or dd into a plain layout wrapper can lose the intended relationship. Conversely, not every label-value-looking layout should be forced into a dl. Choose structure based on the information, not default bold styling.
How WebAuditOS evaluates this finding
The supplied dlitem rule inspects applicable visible dt and dd elements without their own overriding role. It checks the parent relationship and its documented one-level div grouping allowance inside a suitable dl. Extra wrappers or incompatible parent roles can fail.
Serious impact maps to high severity. The separate definition-list rule reviews allowed children and ordering inside the list, so fixing parenthood alone does not validate the whole structure. Applicability exceptions are not a recommendation to remove semantics with role attributes.
How to fix it
- Identify the intended terms and descriptions in the actual content. A glossary or specification can suit a dl; a multidimensional comparison may need a table, while unrelated headings and paragraphs need neither.
- Make the description-list component own its container. A basic valid example is:
<dl class="specs">
<dt>Weight</dt><dd>1.2 kg</dd>
<dt>Colour</dt><dd>Graphite</dd>
</dl>Use real information and preserve meaningful grouping when several terms share descriptions.
- If a wrapper is needed for each group, HTML permits appropriate div groups directly inside dl. Keep the term-description content within a valid grouping model; do not add arbitrary nested containers simply because CSS is easier that way.
- Remove accidental component wrappers or move layout classes to the valid container. A fragment or item component returning the required elements can avoid an extra structural boundary.
- Review explicit roles on the list and entries. Do not turn the dl into a table role without a complete appropriate structure, or add a role to each term merely to leave this rule's scope.
- Reset margins and grid or flex styles intentionally. Structure can remain semantic without accepting every browser default indentation. Check labels and descriptions remain paired visually on small screens.
- Inspect rendered DOM and accessibility output, including generated content and dynamic updates. Test that readers can understand each association even if their assistive technology announces it differently from yours.
- Rescan both parent and full-list validation, then review ordering and any stray content. A corrected ancestor is only one part of a useful description list.
What the fix can break
New container boundaries can change direct-child CSS selectors or scripts using parentElement. Update those dependencies while preserving the data.
A description list is not a generic substitute for every table. Do not discard column headers and comparison relationships merely to avoid using table markup.
A role that removes an element from this rule's scope does not prove the resulting structure is correct. Review the meaning and valid HTML independently of whether this one finding disappears.
Questions
Can I group a term and description with a div?
Yes, appropriate div grouping is allowed inside dl. Follow the valid content model and the deployed rule's traversal limits.
Will every screen reader announce the same list count?
No. Description-list exposure varies. Verify meaning and relationships rather than one exact spoken phrase.
Does this check validate all dl content?
No. The related definition-list rule covers additional structure and ordering.
Which related checks help?
Review ordinary list structure, list-item parents, and the automation limits guide.
What severity does this get in the report?
High. An axe finding takes its severity from the impact axe reports for the element that failed, and the report maps critical and serious to high, moderate to medium, minor to low. This rule is declared serious in axe-core 4.13.0, so a failure arrives as high - which is why the panel above states a conformance level rather than a severity.