The <caption> element should not contain the same text as the summary attribute

Rule ID: table-duplicate-name
Ruleset: axe-core 4.3
User Impact: Minor
Guidelines: Deque Best Practice

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Compliance Data & Impact

User Impact

Minor
▼
Minor
Critical

Disabilities Affected

  • Blind
  • Deafblind

Standard(s)

  • Deque Best Practice

    How to Fix the Problem

    This Rule checks for tables that have identical summary and caption text. To fix the problem, ensure that the content of the summary attribute and the <caption> elements are not identical.

    To ensure screen reader users can make sense of tabular data:

    • Use the <caption> element for onscreen title.
    • Use the summary attribute—only read by screen readers—to describe the table structure.

    Why it Matters

    Screen readers have a specific way of announcing tables. When tables are not properly marked up, this creates the opportunity for confusing or inaccurate screen reader output.

    When tables have summary and caption text that is identical, screen reader users can be confused and find it difficult to know the name and purpose of the table.

    Rule Description

    Data table markup can be tedious and confusing. Make sure the caption and summary table attributes are not identical. Screen readers have some features to manage table navigation, but tables must be marked up accurately for these features to work correctly.

    The Algorithm (in simple terms)

    Checks that data tables that have both a summary and caption have the same text for each.

    Resources

    Deque University Course Pages (subscription required)

    Contribute to axe-core on GitHub

    Other Resources

    You may also want to check out these other resources.

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