PDFCure
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Check a PDF for WCAG and PDF/UA Issues

Scan a PDF for the concrete things that block screen readers — missing tags, no language, no title, and more.

Most tools run entirely on your device

Select a PDF to scan

Checked entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded

Click to choose, or drop a file here

You can also paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)

Most tools run entirely on your device

About checking PDF accessibility

A PDF can look perfectly normal — clear headings, readable text, sensible layout — and still be close to unusable for someone using a screen reader, because visual clarity and structural accessibility are two different properties. A screen reader needs a document title, a declared language, and an internal tag structure that says what order to read content in and which parts are headings, lists or images — none of which show up just by looking at the page.

This tool reads a PDF's internal structure with pdf-lib and checks for the concrete things that matter: whether a real title is set (not just the filename), whether a document language is declared, and whether the page content is tagged for screen readers at all — the single biggest accessibility barrier a PDF can have. Each check comes back as a pass, warning or fail with a plain-language explanation, and a link to the tool that fixes it (Edit PDF Metadata for the title and language).

This checks the structural basics a screen reader needs, not full WCAG/PDF-UA compliance — reading order within tags, alt text on every image, and table structure go beyond what a client-side scan can verify. For a document that must meet a formal accessibility standard, treat this as a fast first pass, not a substitute for full auditing.

Supported files

Accepts a PDF. Produces an on-screen pass/warning/fail report — no file is changed by the checker itself.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The PDF is inspected entirely in your browser with pdf-lib — nothing is uploaded.

How to use the Accessibility Checker

  1. 1

    Open the tool

    Open the Accessibility Checker tool and drop your file onto the page, or click to browse for it. Everything runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded.

  2. 2

    Run the scan

    Click Check and the tool inspects the PDF for missing tags, language, title and other screen-reader blockers.

  3. 3

    Review the report

    Read the list of issues found, with what each one means and how to fix it.

Further reading

What actually makes a PDF accessible, and why most aren'tThe difference between a PDF that looks readable and one a screen reader can actually navigate, and how to check which one you have.

Accessibility Checker — frequently asked questions

Does this make my PDF accessible, or just check it?+

Just check it. Fixing the issues it finds — adding real tags, a reading order, table structure, alt text — needs a dedicated remediation tool or a human reviewer. This scan tells you concretely what's missing; it doesn't add tags itself.

Is passing every check the same as being WCAG or PDF/UA compliant?+

No. A full conformance audit validates an entire tag tree against reading-order and semantic rules — whether headings nest correctly, whether tables have proper header associations, and more. This scan checks the concrete, automatable facts (tagging, language, title, real text, roughly how many images need alt text) that are necessary but not sufficient for full compliance.

Why does it say it can't verify image alt text?+

Confirming a specific image has a meaningful (not just present) alt-text description means walking the tag tree's Figure elements and judging the text itself — that needs human review. This scan can tell you how many images exist and whether the document is tagged at all, which determines whether alt text is even possible.

My PDF is password-protected — why do the results say they might be incomplete?+

This scan can't fully inspect an encrypted file's internal structure, so tag/language/title checks may be less reliable. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF for a fully accurate scan.

Is there a free WCAG/PDF-UA scanner for PDFs?+

Yes — this tool scans for missing tags, language, title and untagged images, free and entirely in your browser.

Do you upload my files to a server?+

No — every tool here processes your files entirely on your device, and nothing is uploaded to a server. The only exception is the AI tools, which send the extracted text (not the file) to Claude to do their work.

Is there a file size limit?+

There's no artificial limit we impose, but since processing happens in your browser, very large files (500+ MB or 1,000+ pages) are limited by your device's memory rather than by us.