Table may be used for layout

Why it matters

Screen readers announce every table as a table — "table, 1 row, 3 columns" — and move through it cell by cell. When a table is only there to put a logo next to a phone number, or three images side by side, that is noise that makes the page harder to follow. Old pages, pasted email templates and some page builders still use tables this way.

Who it affects: Screen reader users, who hear the header for each cell as they move through a table.

What Lumtera flags

Tables with no header cells, no caption and no Table block caption that look like layout: a table with another table inside it, a table whose cells hold only images, or a table with a single row. Only the outer table of a nested layout is reported. Tables marked role="presentation" are skipped, and tables with two or more rows and columns but no headers are left to the "Table has no header cells" check.

Check ID table-layout — use it to filter the content report or with wp lumtera issues --rule.

How to fix it in WordPress

If the table only places content side by side, rebuild it with a Columns, Row or Grid block. If it really holds data, add a header row (Table block settings > Header section) so each value is announced with its heading. For layout tables you cannot change, add role="presentation" to the table element.

Example

<table>
  <tr><td><img src="logo.png" alt="Rosa's Café"></td><td><img src="award.png" alt="Best brunch 2026"></td></tr>
</table>

<div class="wp-block-columns">
  <div class="wp-block-column"><img src="logo.png" alt="Rosa's Café"></div>
  <div class="wp-block-column"><img src="award.png" alt="Best brunch 2026"></div>
</div>

How to check your fix

1. Update the post. The issue disappears from the Accessibility sidebar on the next check, and from the site report on the next scan.
2. With a screen reader, move cell by cell (VoiceOver: Ctrl + Option + arrow keys). Each value should be announced with its column or row header.