Does this checker certify PDF/UA compliance?

No. It is an automated preflight, not a legal certification. Reading order, meaning, alternative-text quality, complex tables, forms, color contrast, and assistive-technology behavior still need manual review.

No. The free preflight reads the selected PDF locally in your browser. The file content and file name are not intentionally sent to FormatSpot analytics.

What does the PDF accessibility checker inspect?

It checks metadata title and language, tagged structure, page structure coverage, likely scanned pages, Figure alternative text exposed in the tag tree, heading levels, forms, tables, and PDF/UA identification metadata.

PDF accessibility preflight · Beta

Find common PDF accessibility issues before delivery

Run automated PDF/UA-oriented checks in your browser, see what failed, and learn which requirements still need a human review.

Local processing No sign-up Manual limits explained

Automated accessibility preflight

Free beta · first 200 pages · PDF files up to 75 MB

File stays in this tab

Drop a PDF here to run a private preflight

or click to browse · PDF only · up to 75 MB

Preparing checks…0%

Preflight results

Review required

0Automated passes

0Issues found

0Manual reviews

0Pages checked

Not a certification: automated checks cannot prove legal compliance or full PDF/UA conformance. Use the findings to prioritize remediation, then test with assistive technology and a qualified reviewer.

Do you check PDFs for clients or a team?

We are validating batch scans, shareable client reports, history, and an API. Signal which workflow matters before we build the paid product.

Share a workflow

Interest noted for product research. No account or file data was submitted.

How it works

A preflight, not a compliance promise

The tool separates machine-checkable signals from decisions that require human judgment.

Select a PDF locally

The browser reads the file using PDF.js. FormatSpot does not intentionally upload the PDF content or file name.

Run structural checks

We inspect metadata, tag trees, text availability, figures, headings, tables, forms, and PDF/UA identifiers.

Fix and manually verify

Use the report to prioritize remediation, then validate meaning, reading order, contrast, and screen-reader behavior.

Scope

What automation can—and cannot—tell you

Clear limits make the result more useful than a misleading single compliance score.

Automated signals

Good for fast preflight

Metadata, document language, tag presence, page structure coverage, likely scanned pages, exposed Figure alt text, heading levels, forms, and conformance identifiers.

Manual review

Meaning needs a person

Reading order, alternative-text quality, table relationships, clear instructions, contrast, keyboard behavior, and real assistive-technology experience.

Not legal advice

No automatic certification

A clean automated result does not guarantee PDF/UA, WCAG, Section 508, EAA, ADA, or any other legal outcome.

Reference points: WCAG 2.2, PDF/UA (ISO 14289), and U.S. Section 508 guidance. Standards and legal obligations depend on document context and jurisdiction.

Questions

PDF accessibility checker FAQ

Does this tool certify PDF/UA compliance?

No. It provides an automated preflight and explains unresolved manual checks. A conformance decision requires more complete validation and, for many workflows, a qualified reviewer.

Is the selected PDF uploaded?

No. The beta analyzes the file in your browser. Ordinary hosting and privacy-safe product events may be measured, but the PDF content and file name must not be sent to analytics.

Why can alternative text still require manual review?

Software can often detect whether a Figure tag exposes alternative text, but it cannot reliably decide whether the description is accurate, useful, concise, or appropriate for the surrounding context.

What does “no automatic issues found” mean?

It means this limited automated ruleset did not find an issue. It does not mean the file is certified, fully accessible, or legally compliant.