Empty list items remain after deleting all text in Safari

Phenomenon

When deleting all text from a list item in Safari, empty list items may remain in the DOM. These empty <li> elements cause layout issues and make the list structure confusing.

Reproduction example

1. Create a list: <ul><li>Item 1</li><li>Item 2</li></ul>
2. Delete all text from “Item 2”
3. Observe the DOM

Observed behavior

• Empty <li></li> or <li><br></li> elements remain
• List structure includes empty items
• Layout has unexpected spacing
• Empty items are visible

Expected behavior

• Empty list items should be removed
• Or at least one empty item should remain for cursor
• List structure should be clean
• No unnecessary empty items

Browser Comparison

• Chrome/Edge: May remove empty items or leave one
• Firefox: More likely to leave empty items
• Safari: Most likely to leave empty items (this case)

Notes and possible direction for workarounds

• Clean up empty list items after deletion
• Remove empty items but preserve list structure
• Keep one empty item if needed for cursor
• Normalize list structure regularly