Free PDF Accessibility Checker

Most PDF accessibility checkers either require Adobe Acrobat Pro (paid, slow) or upload your file to a remote server (privacy concern, especially for legal and financial documents). This one runs entirely in your browser using the file's metadata structure. Your PDF never leaves your machine.

The checker scans for the 10 most important PDF accessibility signals defined by WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA: tagged structure (so screen readers can navigate), document language (so the right pronunciation rules are used), document title (so the browser tab is descriptive), image alt text (so non-visual users get descriptions), reading order metadata, bookmarks for long documents, PDF/UA conformance markers, encryption settings that allow assistive tech, XMP metadata, and linearization for fast web view.

For procurement, government, or legal use cases, automated checks are necessary but not sufficient. A real audit also includes manual review of alt text quality, color contrast in scanned images, form field labels, and reading-order verification with a real screen reader. Tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro, PAC, and CommonLook handle the manual side professionally. For the surrounding application that serves your PDFs, our A11y Starter Kit ships a Next.js project with WCAG AA built into every component.