Data table without header cells
tables/header-missing
- WCAG success criterion
- 1.3.1 (level A)
- Outcome class
- Hint only. An automated check that by design reports review hints only: its findings are marked for manual review, never as confirmed violations.
- Area
- Accessibility, Structure & Semantics
- Default severity
- high
- axe-core rule
tables/header-missing
Why we flag this
Screen reader users hear cell values without their row or column label.
No <th> and no cell with role="columnheader"/"rowheader".
What the rule checks
Scope. Every rendered, not aria-hidden table: <table> or role table/grid, not presentational.
Expectation. A table without any header cell (<th>, role columnheader/rowheader) is a failure only for a data table whose headers are visual (F91); a layout table or a table without visible headers is allowed. Markup cannot tell which, so the rule reports REVIEW at the table, never a confirmed violation. Presentational, hidden and aria-hidden tables are not judged.
Source. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (H51, H39, H63, H43, F91, F92); HTML §4.9 tabular data; WAI-ARIA 1.2 table/grid/row/cell roles
Detection: shared; needs dom, computed_style.
Failing example
The check flags this for review. Corpus case misc_content_checks. The page may contain further findings for other rules.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" xml:lang="de">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=3">
<title>Misc content checks corpus case</title>
<style>
.low-contrast-checkbox {
border: 1px solid #f8f8f8;
background: #ffffff;
}
/* Controls sized to 44px: this case is not about target size. */
button, input { min-width: 44px; min-height: 44px; }
.inline-link {
color: blue;
text-decoration: none;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<main>
<h1>Image maps, tables, abbreviations, and misc issues</h1>
<!-- area-alt -->
<img src="/floorplan.png" usemap="#floor-map" alt="Floor plan">
<map name="floor-map">
<area href="/room1" shape="rect" coords="0,0,50,50">
</map>
<!-- input-image-alt -->
<input type="image" src="/submit.png">
<!-- presentation-semantic-children: dropped in #697 — role="presentation" does not
strip the semantics of descendants (WAI-ARIA 1.2), so this is no finding -->
<div role="presentation">
<button>Semantic button inside a presentation container</button>
</div>
<!-- tables/header-missing: data table without any headers -->
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Alice</td><td>90</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bob</td><td>85</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<!-- redundant-entry: two email fields without reuse/autocomplete -->
<form>
<label for="email-a">Email</label>
<input type="email" id="email-a" name="email_a">
<label for="email-b">Confirm email</label>
<input type="email" id="email-b" name="email_b">
</form>
<!-- abbreviations -->
<p><abbr>W3C</abbr> publishes web standards.</p>
<!-- modern-attribute-misuse: popovertarget references a missing element -->
<button popovertarget="missing-popover-id">Open</button>
<!-- non-text-contrast-css: checkbox border barely distinguishable from background -->
<input type="checkbox" class="low-contrast-checkbox">
<!-- link-in-text-block: inline link distinguished only by color -->
<p>Read our <a href="/policy" class="inline-link">privacy policy</a> for details.</p>
</main>
</body>
</html>Passing example
The check passes here and reports nothing. Corpus case content_tables_ok. The page may contain further findings for other rules.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Library statistics</title>
<style>
nav a, .skip-link { display: inline-block; min-width: 44px; min-height: 44px; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<a class="skip-link" href="#main">Skip to main content</a>
<header>
<p>City Library</p>
<nav aria-label="Main"><a href="/" aria-current="page">Home</a> <a href="/catalogue">Catalogue</a> <a href="/visit">Visit</a></nav>
</header>
<main id="main">
<h1>Library statistics</h1>
<table id="prices">
<caption>Copy and print prices</caption>
<thead><tr><th scope="col" id="price-item">Item</th><th scope="col" id="price-cost">Cost</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td headers="price-item">Black and white page</td><td headers="price-cost">0.10</td></tr>
<tr><td headers="price-item">Colour page</td><td headers="price-item price-cost">0.50</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 id="hours-heading">Opening hours</h2>
<table id="hours" aria-labelledby="hours-heading">
<tr><th scope="row">Monday</th><td>9:00 to 18:00</td></tr>
<tr><th scope="row">Sunday</th><td></td></tr>
</table>
<table id="minimal" aria-label="Late returns">
<tr><th id="late-head">Late returns this week</th><td></td></tr>
</table>
<table id="layout" role="presentation">
<tr><td>Address: 1 Market Square</td><td>Phone: 555 0100</td></tr>
</table>
<div role="table" id="aria-branches" aria-label="Branches">
<div role="row"><div role="columnheader">Branch</div><div role="columnheader">Status</div></div>
<div role="row"><div role="cell">North</div><div role="cell">Open</div></div>
</div>
<stat-table></stat-table>
<script>
customElements.define('stat-table', class extends HTMLElement {
connectedCallback() {
this.attachShadow({ mode: 'open' }).innerHTML =
'<table id="shadow-stats"><caption>Visitors</caption>' +
'<tr><th scope="col" id="shadow-day">Day</th><th scope="col">Visitors</th></tr>' +
'<tr><td headers="shadow-day">Monday</td><td>310</td></tr></table>';
}
});
</script>
</main>
<footer><p>City Library, 1 Market Square</p></footer>
</body>
</html>This page is generated from the rule catalogue and the rule contracts; see therule overview for how the outcome classes are derived.