How to Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Landmarks and Roles on Webflow?

ARIA is a set of HTML attributes that communicate the role, state, and properties of custom interface elements to assistive technologies. The critical thing to know before using it: the first rule of ARIA is "don't use ARIA." Use native HTML elements first. A button element is better than a div with role="button". A nav element is better than a div with role="navigation". Native elements have built-in accessibility behavior. ARIA overrides that behavior without replacing its implementation.

When ARIA is actually necessary: when you're building custom interactive components that have no semantic HTML equivalent. Custom tab panels, date pickers, autocomplete inputs, sliders — these don't have single native HTML elements that fully describe their behavior. ARIA lets you add the semantic layer that screen readers need.

The most useful ARIA attributes for Webflow sites: aria-label adds a text label to an element with no visible text (like an icon-only button). aria-labelledby points to another element whose text describes the current element. aria-expanded indicates whether a collapsible element (accordion, dropdown) is open or closed. aria-hidden="true" removes decorative elements from the accessibility tree — useful for icon elements next to labelled buttons that would otherwise be read twice.

How to add ARIA in Webflow: select any element in Designer. In the Settings panel (gear icon), scroll to Custom Attributes. Add the attribute name (e.g., aria-label) and value (e.g., Close navigation menu). For dynamic states like aria-expanded, you need custom JavaScript to toggle the attribute value when the component's state changes.

Common ARIA mistakes: using aria-label on elements that already have visible text labels (redundant); using role="button" on a div without implementing keyboard handling; using aria-hidden on content that is the only source of that information; forgetting to update aria-expanded when a component opens or closes.

Monthly check: run a screen reader on your most complex interactive element. On macOS, use VoiceOver (Command+F5). Navigate to the element using Tab, activate it, and check what gets announced. If it announces the wrong thing or nothing, you have an ARIA issue. Fix it with the specific attribute that addresses the gap.

ARIA is not magic. Applied incorrectly, it makes accessibility worse. Use it intentionally, test with actual assistive technology, and always prefer native HTML elements when they fit the use case.