Header cells must be th elements

Rule ID Table 6
Definition Each data table header cell must use th elements rather than td element with a scope attribute.
Purpose
  • th element is the web standards way to identify header cells in a table, and makes the data table source code easier to read and debug for accessibility problems.
Mappings
  • HTML4 Legacy Techniques (Recommended)
  • HTML5 and ARIA Techniques (Required)
WCAG Success Criteria

1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, Primary Success Criterion)

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Tables
Scope Element
Target Resources th and td[scope] elements
Techniques
  • Use th elements in the first row or column to identify row and column headers in a simple data tables.
  • Use headers attribute on each td element to identify header information in complex data tables.
  • Use th element for cells used as header cells in the table.
Manual Checks
  • Verify the each data cell has header cells that clearly identify the meaning of the content of the data cell.
Informational Links