The <ul> Element
As defined in the HTML Living Standard, the <ul> (unordered list) element represents a list of items where the order does not matter.
Visual Example:
- Grocery item one
- Grocery item two
- Grocery item three
<ul>\n <li>Item One</li>\n <li>Item Two</li>\n</ul>
View HTML Living Standard: The ul element
Accessibility & Lists
Unordered lists are essential for providing structure to a group of related items.
- Avoid Fake Lists: Never use a series of paragraphs with bullets (e.g.,
• Item 1) to create a list. This removes the programmatic relationship. - Nested Lists: You can nest a new
<ul>or<ol>inside an<li>to create sub-items.
WCAG Requirement: Info and Relationships
Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Level A): Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined.
Using <ul> ensures that the "list" relationship is programmatically determined, allowing assistive technology to announce the list's presence and size.