Web Governance
Table summary and caption must be different
1.3.1 Info and Relationships
This document provides information about the Acquia Web Governance check:
Table summary and caption must be different.
To ensure clarity and accessibility, you must provide unique text for both the summary and the caption when a data table includes both elements. The caption is typically shown visually and should provide a clear, concise title for the table. The summary, which is available in the code but not always shown visually, should describe the structure or purpose of the table in more detail.
Summary and caption for tables serve different purposes. For example, users of assistive technologies may find it easier to understand the structure of a complex table when the summary describes how the table is organized. But if the summary simply repeats the caption, it adds no value and can make it harder to maintain a clear mental picture of the data because of the redundant information.
This check affects the following users who have:
Visual impairments, including blindness and low vision, and rely on assistive technologies like screen readers or magnifiers to understand table structure and content.
Bridget is a blind mother to a five-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. She has a college-level education and works as a receptionist. When she uses a computer, she relies entirely on screen reader software to have websites read aloud or to access content through her braille display.
"Sometimes people send me links to pages with loads of customer info in big tables, and honestly, it can be a headache. If the table is complicated, my screen reader just goes row by row, cell by cell, and I have to piece everything together in my head. It takes time. But if there is just a little heads-up before the table; like what it is about and how it is laid out. then I’ve got a roadmap. I know what I am listening for, and I can get through it way faster without getting lost."
This section provides some examples of the issue.
The following table uses the exact same text for both the <caption> and the summary attribute, which is incorrect. While both elements serve an explanatory function, they are intended for different audiences and technologies.
<table summary="Monthly sales data for 2025.">
<caption>Monthly sales data for 2025.</caption>
Screen reader users may experience redundant information when the same content is provided in both places. The caption is visible to all users and gives a title to the table, while the summary is hidden and used specifically by assistive technologies to explain how the table is structured or how to navigate it.
In the example below, the caption gives a visible title to the table for all users, while the summary provides screen reader users with extra context on how the table is organized. This helps users of assistive technologies better understand and navigate the table.
<table summary="The table has three columns and lists monthly sales figures for Q1 2025. Each row represents one month.">
<caption>Monthly sales figures – Q1 2025</caption>
The caption briefly describes the content of the table, while the summary explains the structure. This ensures that users who rely on screen readers receive helpful information about how to interpret the data layout, without unnecessary repetition.
This section provides instructions on how to identify and fix this type of error.
The Acquia Web Governance platform identifies tables where both the summary and caption attributes contain the same text. These are considered failures and need to be fixed.
To fix this type of error, update the HTML code of the table so that both the caption and summary are used as intended. The caption should serve as a short, descriptive heading or explanation of the table’s content, and it is visible to all users. The summary is typically only available to users of assistive technologies, such as screen readers, and should be used to describe the structure of the table. For example, how the data is organized, how many rows or columns it has, or any other information that helps non-visual users understand how to interpret the table.
This section contains useful resources for this subject.
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Web Governance