Free tool · no upload
Free PDF accessibility checker
Check a PDF in seconds against key WCAG 2.2 and PDF/UA requirements. Everything runs in your browser: your file never leaves your device.
- Nothing uploaded or stored
- About 20 automated checks
- Tag tree and report preview
Processed on your device with open-source PDF.js and pdf-lib. No file data is sent to us or anyone else.
Scanning on your device
What the checker looks at
Each result explains why it matters and how to fix it, with the WCAG 2.2 success criterion and PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1) clause behind it.
- Tags and structureTagged PDF, untagged content, custom tag mapping
- ImagesAlt text on figures and formulas, placeholder alt text
- Headings, lists, tablesHeading order, list structure, table header cells
- Forms and linksField names, tab order, link descriptions
- Document settingsLanguage, title, PDF/UA identifier, security
- Visual hintsScanned pages, sampled contrast, reading order
What automated checks can’t tell you
Automated checks catch only part of WCAG. No tool can decide whether alt text describes an image well, whether the reading order makes sense, or whether a complex table is understandable with a screen reader. That takes a person. This checker gives you a fast, honest first look; it does not make a document compliant, and it is not legal advice.
How it compares with other free options
Use the right tool for the job. We use PAC ourselves for full machine testing in every client review.
| What you get | This checker | Desktop checkers (for example PAC) | Upload-based online checkers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your file stays on your device | Yes: runs in your browser | Yes: desktop install | No: the file is sent to a server |
| Works on Mac, Chromebook and phones | Yes | Windows only (PAC) | Yes |
| Install or account needed | None | Install required | Usually none |
| Plain-English fix for each issue | Yes, with WCAG 2.2 and PDF/UA references | Technical rule names | Varies |
| Visual tag tree and reading-order preview | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| Printable report | Yes, in the page (print or save as PDF) | Yes | Varies |
| Depth of PDF/UA machine checks | About 20 key checks | Comprehensive (full Matterhorn set) | Varies |
Questions about the checker
No. The checker runs in your browser. Your file is read from your device and analysed there with open-source libraries (PDF.js and pdf-lib). It is never sent to our server or anyone else, and it is gone when you close the tab. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it still works.
No. The score is a risk indicator, not a certification. Automated checks can only test part of WCAG 2.2 and PDF/UA. They cannot judge whether alt text is accurate, whether the reading order makes sense, or whether a table is structured correctly. A full review by a person, with tools such as PAC and a screen reader, is still needed. This tool does not certify compliance and is not legal advice.
Around 20 checks: tagging, untagged content, scanned pages, document language, title, alt text on figures and formulas, headings, table headers, lists, form field names, tab order, links, bookmarks, security settings, custom tag mapping, the PDF/UA identifier, sampled text contrast and a reading-order preview. Each result links to the WCAG 2.2 success criterion and the PDF/UA clause behind it.
PAC (free, Windows) runs a much larger set of PDF/UA machine checks and is the tool we use in our own reviews. Acrobat Pro's checker needs a paid licence. This checker needs no install, works on Mac, Windows, Chromebook and phones, never uploads the file, explains every result in plain English and shows the tag tree and reading order. Use it for a fast first look, then a full review.
Yes. Eligible web agencies and public bodies can send up to 10 PDF pages for a free remediation test. We fix them by hand, test them with PAC and NVDA, and send them back with a report. Request a Free PDF Test.
Found problems? Let a person fix and test them.
Up to 10 PDF pages remediated by hand and tested with PAC and NVDA, free for eligible agencies and public bodies.