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Roles

Inherited from HTML and/or ARIA

Role EPUB type equivalent ARIA role HTML element Definition
article     <article> Represents a self-contained composition in a document, page, application, or site, which is intended to be independently distributable or reusable
aside aside   <aside> Secondary or supplementary content.
audio     <audio> Embedded sound content in a document.
blockquote     <blockquote> Represents a section that is quoted from another source.
caption     <caption> or <figcaption> A caption for an image or a table.
cell table-cell cell <td> A single cell of tabular data or content.
columnheader   columnheader <th> with scope col The header cell for a column, establishing a relationship between it and the other cells in the same column.
complementary   complementary   A supporting section of the document, designed to be complementary to the main content at a similar level in the DOM hierarchy, but remains meaningful when separated from the main content.
definition glossdef definition <dd> A definition of a term or concept.
figure figure figure <figure> An illustration, diagram, photo, code listing or similar, referenced from the text of a work, and typically annotated with a title, caption and/or credits.
header     <header> Represents introductory content, typically a group of introductory or navigational aids.
heading   heading <h1> through <h6> A heading for a section of the page.
image   img <img> Represents an image.
list list list <ul> or <ol> A structure that contains an enumeration of related content items.
listItem list-item listitem <li> A single item in an enumeration.
main   main   Content that is directly related to or expands upon the central topic of the document.
math   math <math> Content that represents a mathematical expression.
navigation   navigation <nav> Represents a section of a page that links to other pages or to parts within the page: a section with navigation links.
paragraph     <p> Represents a paragraph.
preformatted     <pre> Represents preformatted text which is to be presented exactly as written.
region   region   Represents content that is relevant to a specific, author-specified purpose and sufficiently important that users will likely want to be able to navigate to the section easily and to have it listed in a summary of the page.
row table-row row <tr> A row of data or content in a tabular structure.
rowheader   rowheader <th> scoped to row The header cell for a row, establishing a relationship between it and the other cells in the same row.
section     <section> Represents a generic standalone section of a document, which doesn’t have a more specific semantic element to represent it.
table table table <table> A structure containing data or content laid out in tabular form.
term glossterm term <dfn> or <dt> A word or phrase with a corresponding definition.
video     <video> Embedded videos, movies, or audio files with captions in a document.

Inherited from DPUB ARIA 1.0

Role ARIA equivalent EPUB type equivalent Definition
abstract doc-abstract abstract A short summary of the principle ideas, concepts and conclusions of the work, or of a section or excerpt within it.
acknowledgments doc-acknowledgments acknowledgments A section or statement that acknowledges significant contributions by persons, organizations, governments and other entities to the realization of the work.
afterword doc-afterword afterword A closing statement from the author or a person of importance, typically providing insight into how the content came to be written, its significance, or related events that have transpired since its timeline.
appendix doc-appendix appendix A section of supplemental information located after the primary content that informs the content but is not central to it.
backlink doc-backlink backlink A link that allows the user to return to a related location in the content (e.g., from a footnote to its reference or from a glossary definition to where a term is used).
bibliography doc-bibliography bibliography A list of external references cited in the work, which may be to print or digital sources.
biblioref doc-biblioref biblioref A reference to a bibliography entry.
chapter doc-chapter chapter A major thematic section of content in a work.
colophon doc-colophon colophon A short section of production notes particular to the edition (e.g., describing the typeface used), often located at the end of a work.
conclusion doc-conclusion conclusion A concluding section or statement that summarizes the work or wraps up the narrative.
cover doc-cover cover An image that sets the mood or tone for the work and typically includes the title and author.
credit doc-credit credit An acknowledgment of the source of integrated content from third-party sources, such as photos. Typically identifies the creator, copyright and any restrictions on reuse.
credits doc-credits credits A collection of credits.
dedication doc-dedication dedication An inscription at the front of the work, typically addressed in tribute to one or more persons close to the author.
endnotes doc-endnotes endnotes A collection of notes at the end of a work or a section within it.
epigraph doc-epigraph epigraph A quotation set at the start of the work or a section that establishes the theme or sets the mood.
epilogue doc-epilogue epilogue A concluding section of narrative that wraps up or comments on the actions and events of the work, typically from a future perspective.
errata doc-errata errata A set of corrections discovered after initial publication of the work, sometimes referred to as corrigenda.
example doc-example example An illustration of the usage of a defined term or phrase.
footnote doc-footnote footnote Ancillary information, such as a citation or commentary, that provides additional context to a referenced passage of text.
glossary doc-glossary glossary A brief dictionary of new, uncommon, or specialized terms used in the content.
glossref doc-glossref glossref A reference to a glossary definition.
index doc-index index A navigational aid that provides a detailed list of links to key subjects, names and other important topics covered in the work.
introduction doc-introduction introduction A preliminary section that typically introduces the scope or nature of the work.
noteref doc-noteref noteref A reference to a footnote or endnote, typically appearing as a superscripted number or symbol in the main body of text.
notice doc-notice notice Notifies the user of consequences that might arise from an action or event. Examples include warnings, cautions and dangers.
pagebreak doc-pagebreak pagebreak A separator denoting the position before which a break occurs between two contiguous pages in a statically paginated version of the content.
pagelist doc-pagelist page-list A navigational aid that provides a list of links to the pagebreaks in the content.
part doc-part part A major structural division in a work that contains a set of related sections dealing with a particular subject, narrative arc or similar encapsulated theme.
preface doc-preface preface An introductory section that precedes the work, typically written by the author of the work.
prologue doc-prologue prologue An introductory section that sets the background to a work, typically part of the narrative.
pullquote doc-pullquote pullquote A distinctively placed or highlighted quotation from the current content designed to draw attention to a topic or highlight a key point.
qna doc-qna qna A section of content structured as a series of questions and answers, such as an interview or list of frequently asked questions.
subtitle doc-subtitle subtitle An explanatory or alternate title for the work, or a section or component within it.
tip doc-tip tip Helpful information that clarifies some aspect of the content or assists in its comprehension.
toc doc-toc toc A navigational aid that provides an ordered list of links to the major sectional headings in the content. A table of contents may cover an entire work, or only a smaller section of it.

Inherited from EPUB 3 Structural Semantics Vocabulary 1.1

Role EPUB type equivalent Definition
landmarks landmarks A short summary of the principle ideas, concepts and conclusions of the work, or of a section or excerpt within it.
loa loa A listing of audio clips included in the work.
loi loi A listing of illustrations included in the work.
lot lot A listing of tables included in the work.
lov lov A listing of video clips included in the work.

List of skippable roles

Ancillary content

List of escapable roles