PDF Accessibility Checker
Free. No signup. Works on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Upload a PDF and see whether it is accessible: whether it is tagged, whether figures have alt text, whether it has a real title and language, and what to fix first for WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA (ISO 14289). It runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install, on a Mac or anywhere else.
How to check a PDF for accessibility
Step 1
Upload the PDF
A thesis, an article, a course handout or a form, from Word, LaTeX, InDesign or anything else.
Step 2
Check accessibility
In a few seconds you get a score, a grade and every check with its result.
Step 3
Read the top of the report
Fix these first lists the problems in order of impact; each one opens to show how to fix it.
Your PDF is analysed and then discarded. Only the report is kept, for up to 48 hours, so you can download it or share it.
What it checks
Tagging
Whether the PDF has a structure tree: the headings, lists, tables and figures a screen reader navigates by. An untagged PDF reads as one block of text.
Title and language
Whether the document has a title, shows it in the viewer's title bar instead of the file name, and declares its language.
Figures and tables
Whether figures carry alt text and tables mark their header cells.
Navigation
Whether headings go in order without skipped levels, long documents have bookmarks, and form fields have labels.
Math
Whether equations are tagged as MathML, which screen readers can read, or left as drawn symbols.
Checking against PDF/UA
PDF/UA (ISO 14289) is the PDF accessibility standard, and the report covers each of its requirements a program can test:
| Requirement | What the checker looks for |
|---|---|
| Tagged content | A structure tree, with the PDF marked as tagged |
| Title | A title in the metadata, with DisplayDocTitle on so viewers show it instead of the file name |
| Language | A declared document language |
| Figures | Alt text on every figure |
| Tables | Header cells marked as headers |
| Headings | Heading levels in order, none skipped |
| Forms | A label on each form field |
| Math (PDF/UA-2) | Equations tagged as MathML |
If the file claims PDF/UA-1 or PDF/UA-2 in its metadata, the report says so and checks whether the claim holds up: any program can write the claim. For a formal conformance result, validate the corrected file with PAC (Windows) or veraPDF (any system); this checker tells you whether it is ready for that. Our guide what is PDF/UA explains the standard.
When your PDF fails
Fix the source whenever you have it. Tags added by hand to a finished PDF are lost the next time you export, while a fixed source gives an accessible PDF on every export.
- From Word: fix headings, alt text and the document title in Word, then export with "Document structure tags for accessibility" turned on.
- From LaTeX: run the source through the LaTeX accessibility checker, which shows the lines to add.
- No source: tag the PDF by hand in Adobe Acrobat Pro, or have it remediated.
To compare this checker with PAC, veraPDF and Acrobat, read free PDF accessibility checkers compared.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this one: it runs in any browser, so it works on a Mac with nothing to install. PAC, the best-known free checker, is Windows only. Adobe Acrobat Pro (paid) and veraPDF (free, command line) also run on a Mac.
Upload it above. The report says whether it is tagged, titled and has a language, and checks alt text, tables, headings and math. For the full picture, also listen to it in a screen reader such as VoiceOver or NVDA.
The report has a check for it, "PDF is tagged", with the result. In Adobe Acrobat or Reader, File, Properties shows "Tagged PDF: Yes" or "No" on the Description tab.
No. The score goes up to 99, never 100, because no automated check can prove a document is accessible. Whether alt text is useful and the reading order makes sense still needs a person.
No. It checks the requirements PDF/UA depends on and explains what to fix, quickly and on any system. For a formal conformance result, validate the corrected PDF with PAC or veraPDF.
It follows the score: A from 90, B from 80, C from 70, D from 60, F below 60.
It is free and needs no signup. Your PDF is analysed and then discarded; only the report is kept, for up to 48 hours.
Need your documents made accessible?
Our LaTeX experts make thesis templates, journal classes, lecture slides and PDFs accessible for WCAG 2.1 AA, ADA Title II and PDF/UA.
See our accessibility services