The HTML aria-sort attribute
The aria-sort attribute indicates whether a table column is sorted and in which direction. Values: ascending, descending, other, or none. Set it on the column header (<th> or role="columnheader"), on only one column at a time.
Overview
The aria-sort attribute indicates whether a table column is sorted, and in which direction.
It exposes table or grid structure to assistive technology. You generally only need it when you build a custom grid (role="grid") or when a native <table> cannot express the structure — for example a grid whose rows are virtualized and not all present in the DOM. A real <table> with <th> headers conveys most of this automatically.
Like all ARIA, aria-sort changes only the accessibility tree — what assistive technology perceives — never the element's behavior or appearance. The first rule of ARIA applies: if a native HTML element or attribute conveys this, use that instead, and only reach for ARIA when nothing native fits.
Syntax
<th aria-sort="ascending"><button>Name</button></th>Values
| Value |
|---|
| none | ascending | descending | other |
Example
<th aria-sort="descending"><button>Date ▼</button></th>Best practices
- Follow the first rule of ARIA — use a native HTML element or attribute that conveys this where one exists, rather than adding ARIA.
- Use a native <table> with <th> headers where possible — it conveys most structure for free.
- Reach for these attributes on a custom grid, or when rows and columns are not all in the DOM.
- Keep the index and count values accurate as the grid changes.