Serious1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA)Rule ID: table-duplicate-name
Tables must not have duplicate accessible names
Multiple tables on a page share the same accessible name, making it hard to distinguish them.
Rule Description
Checks for duplicated table accessible names derived from <caption>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby.
Why It Matters
- Screen reader users navigate tables by names/captions
- Duplicate names make orientation and task flow difficult
- Data interpretation errors increase when context is unclear
How to Fix
Give each table a unique, descriptive caption or aria-label.
Bad Example:
<table aria-label="Data">...</table> <table aria-label="Data">...</table>
Good Example:
<table aria-label="Q1 revenue by region">...</table> <table aria-label="Q1 expenses by region">...</table>
Common Mistakes
- Generic captions like “Table”
- Reusing copy-pasted
aria-labelvalues - Omitting captions where multiple tables appear together
Testing
- Use screen reader table navigation shortcuts
- Verify each table has a unique purpose-focused name
- Run automated checks for duplicate naming patterns
External Resources
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