[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #65038: Shortcode block adds empty <p> tags around block output in widget/footer areas

[WordPress Trac]

#65038: Shortcode block adds empty <p> tags around block output in widget/footer
areas
--------------------------+-----------------------------
 Reporter:  frauinga      |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  General       |    Version:  6.9.4
 Severity:  normal        |   Keywords:  has-screenshots
  Focuses:                |
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 In WordPress 6.9.4, using a Blocksy child theme, I’m seeing empty <p> tags
 around the output of shortcodes when they are placed in a Shortcode block
 or widget block inside the footer.

 The shortcode returns valid block‑level HTML (e.g. <ul class="widget-
 terminliste"> ... </ul>), but in the frontend it is rendered as:

 <div class="widget_block">
     <p><ul class="widget-name"> ... </ul></p>
 </div>

 This results in invalid HTML, since a <ul> must not be a direct child of
 <p>. The browser repairs this by creating an empty <p> element, which
 shows up in the DOM inspector as <p></p> and causes unnecessary vertical
 spacing, especially in the footer where layout is tight.

 **Steps to reproduce**

 1. WordPress 6.9.4 with the Blocksy theme and a child theme based on it.
 2. Add a Shortcode block (or “Shortcode” widget) in the footer widget area
 (or any footer block region).
 3. Insert a shortcode that returns block‑level HTML, e.g. <ul>, <div>, or
 similar.
 4. View the page in the browser and inspect the HTML.
     You will see something like <p><ul> ... </ul></p> and, in the DOM
 tree, an empty <p>.

 **Expected behavior**

 - The shortcode output should be rendered without extra <p> tags around
 it.
 - The HTML should be valid (e.g. <ul> not inside <p>).
 - No empty <p> elements should appear in the DOM.

 **Actual behavior**
 - WordPress wraps the shortcode output in a <p> in the widget/footer
 context.
 - This leads to invalid HTML and an empty <p> in the DOM, causing layout
 issues.

 **Environment**

 - WordPress version: 6.9.4
 - Theme: Blocksy
 - Child theme: yes
 - Context: footer widget / shortcode block

 **Notes**

 - The same behavior occurs with different shortcodes, including Blocksy’s
 own example shortcodes, so it does not seem to be related to a specific
 theme function.
 - A CSS workaround (hiding p:empty or p containing .widget-terminliste) is
 possible, but the root cause lies in shortcode/block rendering in
 widget/footer contexts and should be handled in core or Gutenberg.
 - The site is still under construction

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65038>
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