incorrect-data-headers-cell

Description

Table headers and data cells must be correctly identified using appropriate markup (<th>, <td>) or ARIA roles. Incorrectly marked tables can confuse users of screen readers and other assistive technologies.

The incorrect-data-headers-cell rule aligns with WCAG Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), which requires that information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation must be programmatically determinable.

Examples

In the following example, table headers are incorrectly marked as data cells (<td>).

In the corrected example, headers are properly marked with <th>:

How to fix?

To fix violations of the incorrect-data-headers-cell rule, follow these steps:

1. Identify table headers and ensure they are marked with <th>.
2. Use <td> for standard data cells.
3. If ARIA roles are used, ensure role="columnheader" or role="rowheader" is applied appropriately.

Reference

• WCAG Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships
• Technique H43
• Failure F90