TD cells must sit directly inside a row

PDF/UA check TABLE_DATA_STRUCTURE · Tables · severity Medium · PDF/UA 8.2.5.26 Table

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Why it matters#

Data cells must be inside rows for proper structure. Screen readers rely on this hierarchy to navigate tables cell by cell and row by row.

What you will see#

A TD element has something other than a TR as its direct parent.

How to fix#

Move each TD element in the tag tree so it is a direct child of a TR element. If a TD sits directly under Table or another element, create or locate the correct TR row and place the TD inside it.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Open the Accessibility tags panel (View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Accessibility tags) and locate each flagged TD element whose parent is not a TR.
2. If the TD sits directly under Table, THead, TBody, or TFoot: right-click that parent, choose New Tag > Table Row (TR), and drag the TD and the other cells of the same visual row into the new TR in left-to-right order.
3. If the TD is wrapped in an extra element (e.g. a Div or P between the TR and the TD), drag the TD up so its immediate parent is the TR, then delete the emptied wrapper tag.
4. If the TD is orphaned outside any table (a converter artifact), decide whether it is really tabular: move it into the correct TR of the table it belongs to, or retag it as P if it is ordinary body text.
5. For widespread damage, rebuild the table instead: select the region with All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Fix reading order (the Reading Order tool), click Table, then correct cell types and spans in the Table Editor.
6. Confirm the cells inside each TR follow the visual left-to-right order after the moves.

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan and confirm TABLE_DATA_STRUCTURE passes. Acrobat's accessibility check should show no remaining table structure errors for the affected pages.

Note: TD is only valid as a direct child of TR. Content inside the TD itself (paragraphs, links, nested lists) is unrestricted by this rule; only the TD's own parent matters.

WCAG success criteria#

1.3.1 Info and Relationships — Level A#

Structure and relationships conveyed visually (headings, lists, tables, labels, groups) must also be available programmatically.

Understanding 1.3.1

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA WCAG A EN 301 549