HTML feed ARIA Role: Reference and Examples

A screen reader needs to know what a piece of a page is, not only what it looks like. The ARIA role feed describes a changing stream of separate articles.

What this role means

A changing stream of separate articles.

ARIA roles add meaning to the accessibility tree. They do not automatically make something clickable, move keyboard focus or build an interface. Those behaviors come from native HTML controls or from correctly implemented JavaScript.

See feed in a real page

<section role="feed" aria-label="News updates">
    <article><h2>Update one</h2><p>First story.</p></article>
    <article><h2>Update two</h2><p>Second story.</p></article>
</section>

Read the example

Look for role="feed" in the example. The role helps assistive technology classify the content. Read the surrounding text and labels too: those give the control or region its useful name.

An interactive, dynamically updated feed may need posinset/setsize and focus or loading management.

When to use it

Start with native HTML whenever possible. Add ARIA only when it provides missing meaning for an interface that you cannot build with the appropriate native element.

For changing messages, decide when the announcement should happen. A live-region role describes the message, but the timing, frequency and actual content updates are your responsibility.

Try it yourself

Put the example on a practice page and inspect it using your browser accessibility panel. If it includes interactive controls, reach them with Tab and check whether they work without a mouse. Explain whether the semantics come from native HTML or an explicit ARIA role.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Adding role="feed" without checking whether an ordinary HTML element already supplies the right semantics.
• An interactive, dynamically updated feed may need posinset/setsize and focus or loading management.
• Confusing the role announced by a screen reader with the behavior that the browser implements.

Key Takeaways

• feed is related to a changing stream of separate articles.
• An interactive, dynamically updated feed may need posinset/setsize and focus or loading management.
• Native HTML is the first choice; ARIA should clarify meaning, not replace working HTML.