Shortcode block adds empty <p> tags around block output in widget/footer areas

[frauinga]

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

[wildworks]

Thanks for the report. I think the fundamental issue is that the HTML output by shortcodes is always wrapped in a P element, which I believe is the same problem reported in #62694.

[wildworks]

Duplicate of #62694.