Tables are used to organize data that is too detailed or complicated to be described adequately in page text, allowing the reader to quickly see the results.
Criteria
Tables should be used for tabular data, not for content layout or design.
Table headers must be defined for AODA compliance and should not include links to other pages or documents.
Tables should be tagged to represent the table structure.
Tables are useful for related data listings, catalogs or anything with multiple items having attributes that fit well into a block-style layout.
Tables can naturally be split into core sections with a header, body and sometimes a footer.
In a traditional layout, the header row defines the data types, followed by a list of data rows. If the list is limited to just a few rows or columns and is only used as a layout form, a table is not the most useful way to display such content.
When using a table view, issues of SEO, responsiveness, accessibility and usability must be considered.