1.3.1 Info and Relationships

What this criterion requires

Structure and relationships that are visually apparent - headings, lists, tables, form labels, groups - must also exist in the markup, so assistive technology can convey them.

Who it helps

Screen reader users, who navigate by headings, landmarks and programmatic labels rather than by visual layout.

Example: fails vs passes

<p class="big bold">Shipping details</p>
    <input placeholder="Address">

<h2>Shipping details</h2>
    <label for="addr">Address</label>
    <input id="addr" name="address">

Structure must live in the markup: real headings, real labels, real lists and table headers - not just visual styling.

How to meet and fix it

• Use real heading elements (h1-h6) in a logical order, not styled paragraphs
• Associate every input with a label element (or aria-label where visible text exists per 2.5.3)
• Mark up data tables with th and scope; use lists for lists
• Group related fields with fieldset/legend or ARIA

Common failures auditors find

• Bold text acting as a heading
• Placeholder used instead of a label
• Layout tables announcing meaningless rows and columns

Automated scanning catches a share of these instantly - run a free check - and a manual audit covers the judgement calls a tool cannot make.

In PDF documents

In PDF this criterion is carried by the tag tree: real H1-H6 tags, P, L/LI for lists, Table with TH/TD and scope. An untagged PDF has no structure at all and fails outright. Tagging is the single biggest task in PDF remediation.

Check any document against this and 80+ more automated checks with the free PDF accessibility checker.

Last updated 12 August 2026. Reviewed by the EqualWeb accessibility team.