Word: Tables

Table Tips

  • Mark headers (rows and columns, process will depend on software)
  • Do not break across pages
  • Best not to merge cells, this can be very confusing
  • Put table title before the table
  • Add a table summary for complex tables

Table Resources

Making Tables Accessible Procedures

Prevent breaking across pages

  1. Select the entire table.
  2. Right click on the crosshairs icon at the top left.

Cross hair icon to the top left of the table.

  1. Select “Table Properties.”

Menu with Table Properties highlighted.

  1. Navigate to the “Row” tab.
  2. Under options, deselect the checkbox in front of “Allow row to break across pages.”
  3. Click OK.

Properties menu, row tab, first box unchecked.

Table Headers

  1. Select the top header row (or all top header rows if more than one).
  2. Right click and select “Table Properties.”

Table top row selected and menu.

  1. Under Options, select the checkbox in front of “Repeat as header row at the top of each page.”
  2. Click OK.

Table properties window, row tab, the second box is checked.

Adding a Table Summary

  1. Click inside your table or select the whole table and right click the crosshairs icon on the upper left of the table.
  2. Select “Table Properties” > “Alt Text” tab.
  3. Type your table summary in the "Description" box. This will retain the information if you create a PDF from your Word document.

Properties window, Alt Text tab and circle around Description box.

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