AI Summary: Use one main region for the page's primary content and article for a self-contained composition that could stand on its own. Pair semantic boundaries with clear headings and useful links; this improves interpretability and accessibility but cannot guarantee how an AI system extracts or cites the page.
The semantic contract
The WHATWG HTML Standard defines main as the dominant content of a document or application and article as a complete or self-contained composition that can, in principle, be independently distributed or reused. section groups a thematic part of a document, while nav identifies a section intended for navigation links. These meanings are stronger than a generic div whose role exists only in a CSS class. Use headings to express the information hierarchy rather than to style text. Use real links for navigation and real buttons for actions. If an article includes metadata, references, or a caveat, label those regions so a reader can distinguish editorial context from the main answer. Do not add ARIA roles that contradict native HTML; first use the element whose built-in meaning matches the job. [2] [3]
| Element | Use when | Verify |
|---|---|---|
main | One dominant page-content region | It excludes repeated navigation and chrome |
article | A self-contained composition | Its title and body make sense together |
section | A themed group with a heading | The heading explains the group |
nav | A navigation link collection | Link purpose is visible and specific |
Verification checklist
Inspect the rendered DOM and count the page-level main regions. Confirm that the primary article is not hidden behind a client-only shell, that its H1 and headings are in order, and that links have descriptive text. Test keyboard focus and screen-reader landmarks, then compare the DOM boundary with the visual answer. A semantic wrapper is successful when it matches the content's meaning, not merely when a validator can find the tag.
This standard helps a page communicate where its answer starts and ends. It is one part of an evidence-led readiness review, alongside status codes, crawl paths, content quality, accessibility, and protocol checks.