Annotations
Find annotation requirements for testing PDFs.
Annotations (PDF-8)
Links and link text (PDF-8-1)
Link text in PDF documents is marked up in a way that is identifiable by keyboard and assistive technology users. Links in PDF documents should be represented by a Link tag and objects in its sub-tree, which includes a link object reference (or Link annotation) and one or more text objects. The text object(s) within the Link tag should be utilized by assistive technologies to provide a name for the link.
How to test
Tool: Screen reader- Use a screen reader to go through the PDF document.
- Verify that the link is read out properly and its description correctly indicates where the link leads to.
- Verify the tag tree visually to ensure the links are correctly tagged as
with a nested ‘Link-OBJR’ tag. - Use the Tab key to navigate to each link. Press Enter to verify that the link takes you to the intended target.
Test outcomes
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Pass: All links are accurately tagged, easily read by a screen reader, can be activated using a keyboard, and the link text clearly states the link’s purpose.
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Fail: If any link is inaccurately tagged, cannot be read by a screen reader, can’t be activated with a keyboard, or the link text does not clearly state the link’s purpose.
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NA: There are no links present in the document.
Related WCAG criteria
- WCAG 2.2 A - 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
- PDF-U/A - 7.18.5 Links