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Tagged PDF

A PDF with a hidden structure of headings, lists, tables, and alt text that lets a screen reader read it in order.

Also called
accessible PDF

A tagged PDF carries a structure tree, much like the HTML of a web page, that tells assistive technology what each part of the document is: a heading, a paragraph, a list item, a table cell, an image with alt text. Without tags, a screen reader gets a stream of text in whatever order the file happens to store it, or nothing at all for a scanned image.

Office software can usually tag a PDF on export if the source document uses real headings and lists; the result then needs checking and fixing in a PDF editor. Laws that cover documents, such as Section 508, apply here. Where a PDF is hard to make accessible, publishing the same content as a web page is often the better answer.

Heading structure
Headings that outline the page in order, one main heading and then levels that nest without skipping.
Alt text
The written description of an image that a screen reader reads aloud and a search engine indexes.
Section 508
The U.S. law requiring federal agencies, and the technology they buy, to be accessible to people with disabilities.

Get help with every step.

We can work with organizations of every size and industry, from a startup serving its first customers to a bank. We find where you stand, help your team fix what matters, and keep checking as your product changes. That work is evidence of your effort, not a legal guarantee.

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