Rule: Header cells should be th elements

Rule ID Table 6
Conformance Recommended
Definition Each data table header cell should 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.
Conformance Recommended
WCAG Success Criteria

Success Criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Tables/Layout
Rule Scope Element
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.
Information Links