Remediate PDFs in Adobe Acrobat

Remediate to elevate access.

PDFs can be challenging to make accessible, especially when they contain complex layouts, tables, or lists. However, taking steps to improve PDF accessibility can make documents easier to navigate, read, and use with assistive technologies.

Whenever possible, we recommend making accessibility corrections in the original source document, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, before converting it to a PDF. If you need to remediate an existing PDF, Adobe Acrobat Pro provides tools to help you address accessibility issues.

Getting Started with Adobe Acrobat Pro

Prior to remediating a document, you will need to claim and install Adobe Acrobat Pro. All current UND faculty and staff members have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro as part of the university’s Adobe licensing agreement.

Once you've installed Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can set up the user interface for accessibility.

Claim Your Adobe Acrobat Pro Account

PDF Remediation Steps

Not sure where to start? Follow the steps below to review and improve your PDF's accessibility.

Start by running Adobe Acrobat's Accessibility Checker to identify potential accessibility issues in your PDF. The checker can help you find problems that need attention, but it cannot identify every accessibility issue. You should also manually review your document.

Run the checker again after completing your remediation to identify any remaining issues. For more information, see Adobe Support's documentation on Verifying PDF Accessibility.

Video Tutorials

Launch the Accessibility Checker

  1. Navigate to the All Tools menu.
  2. Select Prepare for accessibility.
  3. Select Check for accessibility. The Accessibility Checker dialog box will appear.
  4. Click Start Checking at the bottom of the Accessibility Checker dialog box. The Accessibility Checker pane will open on the right-hand side of the screen.

Adobe Acrobat interface showing the Accessibility Checker panel on the right side of the screen.

A document's title and language are part of its metadata. Metadata is the descriptive information embedded within a PDF that helps identify the document and tells assistive technologies how to interpret its content. In Adobe Acrobat, you can add a descriptive document title and identify the document's language through Document Properties. You can also include additional information, such as the author's name, subject, and keywords.

Video Tutorial

Set the Document Title

In Windows
  1. Navigate to the Menu tab.
  2. Select Document properties.
  3. In the Document Properties box, select the Description tab.
  4. Enter the title in the Title field.

Screenshot showing the location of the Document Properties option in Adobe Acrobat.

Screenshot of the Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat, with the Title field highlighted.

On Mac
  1. Navigate to the File tab.
  2. Select Document properties.
  3. In the Document Properties box, select the Description tab.
  4. Enter the title in the Title field.

Screenshot showing the location of the Document Properties option in Adobe Acrobat.

Screenshot of the Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat, with the Title field highlighted.

Set the Document Language

In Windows
  1. Navigate to the Menu tab.
  2. Select Document properties.
  3. In the Document Properties box, select the Advanced tab.
  4. Enter the language in the Language field under Reading Options.

Screenshot showing the location of the Document Properties option in Adobe Acrobat.

Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat with the Language section highlighted.

On Mac
  1. Navigate to the File tab.
  2. Select Document properties.
  3. In the Document Properties box, select the Advanced tab.
  4. Enter the language in the Language field under Reading Options.

Screenshot showing the location of the Document Properties option in Adobe Acrobat.

Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat with the Language section highlighted.

Some PDF security settings may prevent screen reader users from accessing certain accessibility features. Check your security permissions in Document Properties to ensure that Protected View and Enhanced Security is disabled. For most documents, the No Security option is preferred.

Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat showing the Security permissions settings.

PDF tags provide the underlying structure that allows assistive technologies to identify headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, images, and other content.

Review Common PDF Tags

Before making corrections, it helps to understand the tags used to structure a PDF.

Review Common PDF Tags and Their Usage

View the Tag Tree

Adobe Acrobat allows you to customize the side panel to view your frequently used tools. Pin the Tags panel, which allows you to review and edit your document's tag structure.

  1. Navigate to the View menu.
  2. Select (Windows) or hover over (Mac) the Show/Hide option. A sub-menu should appear.
  3. Select or hover over Side Panels. A second sub-menu should appear.
  4. Select Accessibility Tags.

The Tags window should now show in your side panel menu on the right side of the screen. Tags will be displayed in order from top to bottom. Review all tags to ensure proper semantic structure and reading order.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing where users can access the tag tree, which displays the structural tags used to organize content within a PDF document.

Screenshot of the Tags panel in Adobe Acrobat displaying the PDF's tag tree. The panel allows users to review, expand, and manage tags that define the structure and reading order of content within the document.

Video Tutorial

Autotag a Document

If your PDF does not contain tags, Adobe Acrobat can automatically identify and tag document content.

  1. Open the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Click on the three dots, indicating menu options.
  3. Select Autotag document. This option only appears if there are no document tags available.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing the Autotag Document option, which allows users to automatically generate structural tags for content within a PDF document.

Important: While autotagging may seem like the easiest option, it can introduce errors. Review all tags to ensure proper semantic structure and reading order.

Video Tutorial

Manually Tag a Document

If automatic tagging does not correctly identify content, you may need to manually add or edit tags.

  1. Navigate to the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Click on the three dots in the corner of your Tags window, indicating menu options.
  3. If your document does not already contain tags, select Create Tags Root.
  4. Navigate back to the three dots in the corner of your Tags window.
  5. Select Reading Order. The Reading Order tool dialog box should open. In this box, you can designate content tags.
  6. Use your mouse to drag a box around the content you want to tag. Pink lines will indicate which text has been selected.
  7. Once the text is selected, choose which tag you would like to apply.
  8. Once a tag has been selected, the content will be numbered, and it will show up in the Tags Panel.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing the option to create a Tags root, which establishes the top-level structure for organizing tags within a PDF document.

Screenshot of the Reading Order panel in Adobe Acrobat, which provides tools for identifying and tagging content elements, such as text, headings, figures, and tables, within a PDF document.

Video Tutorial

Change Tags

If content has been tagged incorrectly, you can change the tag to identify the content appropriately.

  1. Open the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Navigate to the three dots in the corner of your Tags window, indicating menu options.
  3. Select Reading Order. The Reading Order tool dialog box should open. In this box, you can designate content tags. Correctly designating tags creates a logical reading order.
  4. Click on the content box you would like to change.
  5. Select a new tag.
Video Tutorial

Reorder Tags

Tags should follow a logical sequence that reflects how the document is intended to be read.

Drag and Drop
  1. Open the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Select the tag you would like to move.
  3. Drag and drop the tag. As you drag the tag, a black line will appear. This line indicates places you may drop the tag.
Cut and Paste
  1. Open the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Select the tag you would like to move.
  3. Navigate to the three dots in the corner of your Tags window, indicating menu options.
  4. Select Cut.
  5. Right click on the tag that you want to move your cut tag above.
  6. Navigate to the three dots in the corner of your Tags window, indicating menu options.
  7. Select Paste.

The cut tag will now be pasted above the tag you selected.

Screenshot of the Tags panel in Adobe Acrobat showing the Cut Tag option, which allows users to remove a selected tag from its current location in the PDF's tag tree so it can be moved elsewhere.

Screenshot of the Tags panel in Adobe Acrobat showing the Paste Tag option, which allows users to insert a previously cut or copied tag into the PDF's tag structure.

Video Tutorial

Delete Tags

Incorrect or unnecessary tags may need to be removed. Be careful when deleting tags, as doing so can affect document structure.

  1. Open the Tags window in the Side Panel menu.
  2. Select the tag you would like to delete.
  3. Navigate to the three dots in the corner of your Tags window, indicating menu options.
  4. Select Delete Tag.

Screenshot of the Tags panel in Adobe Acrobat showing the Delete Tag option, which allows users to remove a selected tag from the PDF's tag structure.

Video Tutorial

Reading order determines the sequence in which content is presented to assistive technologies. While a document may appear correct visually, its underlying reading order may not follow the same sequence.

Adobe Acrobat provides tools to help you review and correct reading order. Use the Order pane to inspect numbered content regions, and the Tags panel to review the underlying tag structure.

Access Reading Order Tools

  1. Navigate to the View menu.
  2. Select (Windows) or hover over (Mac) the Show/Hide option. A sub-menu should appear.
  3. Select or hover over Side Panels. A second sub-menu should appear.
  4. Select Order. Here, you can also select the three most frequently used tools: Tags, Order, and Bookmarks.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing where users can locate the Show/Hide option, which allows them to control the visibility of various interface elements, including navigation panels and toolbars.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing where users can access additional navigation panels and display them in the sidebar to assist with reviewing and editing PDF documents.

Video Tutorial

Edit Reading Order

Edit Tag Associated with Content
  1. Select the previously tagged content (numbered content highlighted in gray).
  2. Select a new tag from the Reading Order dialog box.
Edit the Reading Order
  1. Navigate to the Order panel in the side bar.
  2. Click on the numbered content block.
  3. Drag and drop the content into the order you desire.

Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat showing content within a PDF document identified using the Reading Order tool. The tool allows users to review how content is grouped and classified and make adjustments to the document's structure and reading order.

Video Tutorials

Meaningful images should be tagged as figures and have descriptive alternative text added. Decorative images should be marked as artifacts so that screen readers can skip them.

Add Alternative Text

  1. Select Prepare for accessibility from the All Tools menu.
  2. Select Add alternate text from the accessibility pane.
  3. Add a clear description in the Text field box.

Screenshot of the Accessibility toolbar in Adobe Acrobat showing the available options for reviewing and improving PDF accessibility, including tools for checking accessibility, managing document tags, and adjusting reading order.

Video Tutorial

The Content panel displays elements in your PDF, including text, images, paths, containers, and annotations. Use this panel to review document structure, locate missing or untagged content, and identify potential accessibility issues.

For more information on the Content panel, see Adobe Support for Editing Document Structure with the Content Panel.

Video Tutorial

Before You Finish: Once you've completed the remediation process, run the Accessibility Checker again to identify any remaining issues. Remember that automated checkers cannot identify every accessibility issue, so you should still manually review your document's structure, reading order, and other content.

Additional Resources

Looking for more guidance on remediating PDFs in Adobe Acrobat? Explore these resources for additional instructions and demonstrations.

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