Table Intelligent Guided Test
Testing data tables for accessibility issues can be difficult. The Table IGT asks a series of simple questions to find any potential accessibility issues with your tables.
The Table IGT does not currently support ARIA grids and tables (role="grid" and role="table").
How it works
The first thing you will have to do is put the page in the state you want to test. After that a few simple questions will guide you through completion of accessibility tests that determine whether the table you want to test is marked up correctly for accessibility.
Step 1: Select Table
All tables found on the page (or within selected element) will be highlighted. Select the table you’d like to test, or choose to select one using the "I’d like to select a different table" option.
If no tables were found you will be asked to select the table element that you’d like to test.
Step 2: Headers/Data
Now that you have selected a table to test, you will be asked to identify which "type" of table you are testing. The table's header cells will dictate which type the table is. The available options are:
- A table with 1 row of headers
- A table with 1 column of headers
- A table with 1 header row and 1 header column
- A table with irregular headers. A table can have irregular headers when the header cells are associated with specific ranges of cells rather than an entire row or column.
- A table with multi-level headers. Multi-level headers are used on complex tables in which the headers can't be associated in a vertical or horizontal way.
- This is not a data table
Once the type of table is identified, if needed, you will be asked a series of questions regarding the table's data and header cells. During this step, any missing header cells will be identified as well as any cells which act like headers but are not marked up properly.
AI will attempt to identify any missing header elements automatically. This means that any elements the AI detects as headers for a given data cell that are not properly marked up as headers will be preselected for you!
Running in Automated Mode
When automated IGT mode is enabled, you still choose which table to test, and then AI analyzes the table's structure for you. You won't be asked to identify the table type or to review headers for each data cell.
Step 1: Select the table
Just like the standard test, select one of the tables found on the page, or choose "I'd like to select a different table" and select the table element yourself. Each automated run analyzes one table.
Step 2: AI analyzes your table
AI examines a screenshot of the table along with its cells and determines:
- Classification: Whether the table is a data table or a layout table
- Cell structure (data tables only): Which cells are headers, which are data cells, and which headers each data cell belongs to
AI's findings are then compared with the table's markup to find the same issues the standard test raises, such as header cells that aren't marked up as headers, header markup that doesn't head any data, and incorrect headers or scope attributes. For layout tables, the IGT checks whether the table contains header markup it shouldn't have.
Automated mode treats every data table the same way, so it does not distinguish between tables with a header row, a header column, irregular headers, or multi-level headers.
If AI can't analyze the table — for example, because the table is too large, is clipped so it can't be fully captured, or the analysis fails — you'll see a message saying the table will be tested manually, and the IGT continues with the standard table type question. The same applies if your enterprise has no AI credits remaining.
Step 3: Review the results
The review screen shows a Table classification card with AI's determination (data table or layout table) and a short explanation of the table. If the classification is wrong, select the correct one under Which classification is correct? and click Update classification. Results switch to match the new classification without running the analysis again.
A layout classification doesn't include any cell analysis. If you change a layout table to a data table, you'll be asked to confirm, your current results are replaced, and the IGT walks you through reviewing the data cells and their headers manually.
When the table has failures, only the failing checks are listed. When it has none, a single pass is shown for the table. Use Mark as passed to clear a failure, or Mark as failed to report an issue with a table that passed. See Automated IGTs for details on reviewing results, making corrections, and completing your test.
What it tests for
- Layout tables lacking expected roles
- Data tables lacking expected roles
- Improper and/or missing table headers