PDFs are one of the most common document formats used by governments—but also one of the most commonly inaccessible. If you’re trying to meet Section 508 or ADA Title II compliance, you need to know whether your PDFs are accessible—and whether they’re taggable.
In this guide, we’ll break down what “taggable” means, how to check, and what to do with files that can’t be fixed.
What Is a Taggable PDF?
A “taggable” PDF is one that can be enhanced with accessibility tags:
- Headings
- Lists
- Tables
- Alt text
- Reading order
These tags tell assistive technology (like screen readers) how to interpret the document.
However, not all PDFs can be tagged. For example:
- Scanned images with no OCR = untaggable
- Poorly generated PDFs may lack a logical structure
- Flattened documents can’t be edited
How to Check If a PDF Is Taggable
Step 1: Open in Adobe Acrobat Pro
This is the gold standard tool for PDF accessibility work.
Step 2: Look for Tags Panel
Go to View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Tags
- No tags? It’s not accessible.
- Wall of <P> tags? It was probably autotagged—and poorly.
Step 3: Run the Accessibility Checker
Tools > Accessibility > Full Check
This will identify:
- Missing alt text
- Untagged content
- Heading structure problems
- Language settings
Step 4: Try Reading Order Tool
This lets you preview how a screen reader will interpret the page. If the content jumps around or repeats, the order is wrong.
Step 5: OCR Test (For Scanned PDFs)
Go to Tools > Scan & OCR
If the OCR button is enabled, your PDF is just an image—not text. That means it’s not taggable unless you run OCR and manually rebuild the tags.
This is usually a better option than recreating the document from scratch, but OCR is not perfect. Take care to proofread the document to make sure Acrobat interpreted the text correctly.
What to Do If It’s Not Taggable
You have two options:
- Rebuild from source (Word, InDesign, etc.)
- Recreate the document in an accessible template
Remediation is faster when you have access to the original file. If not, consider the document’s value:
- Is it legally required?
- Frequently accessed?
- Better presented as web content?
Tips for Future Documents
- Always author documents with accessibility in mind
- Use built-in heading styles in Word
- Add alt text and table summaries
- Export using “Document structure tags”
Final Thoughts
Not all PDFs are salvageable—but all future documents can be accessible with the right setup.
Need help auditing or remediating your files?
