Skip to main content

Tags

Find tag requirements for testing PDFs.

Tags (PDF-3)

Semantic tagging of text (PDF-3-1)

The most semantically appropriate tag shall be used for each logical element in the document content. Content shall be tagged in logical reading order.

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Open the tags panel and review the tags.
  2. Verify that the tags selected are semantically appropriate for the content type in a logical reading order.
  3. Verify that if non-standard (tag) structure types are used, they are mapped to the nearest functionally equivalent standard tags.
  4. Verify that artifacts are not present in the tags tree.

Test outcomes

  • Pass: The document is tagged and has semantically appropriate tags.

  • Fail: The document is either untagged or has incorrect/non-semantic tags.

Related WCAG criteria

Table of contents (PDF-3-2)

If a PDF contains a table of contents, it MUST contain bookmarks that link to the proper locations within the document.

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Inspect the document for the presence of a table of contents.
  2. Verify that the Table of contents has links to the correct sections within the document.
  3. Verify that all Table of Contents are correctly tagged as a .
  4. Verify that all Table of Contents Items are appropriately tagged using the tag and nested under .
  5. Verify that contains the related tag with nested ‘Link-OBJR’ tag.
  6. Verify that the caption (if available) is tagged as and placed as a first child element of .

Test outcomes

  • Pass: The table of contents links to the correct section within the document and it is correctly tagged using , , tags and a tag if available.

  • Fail: The table of contents either doesn’t link to the correct sections within the document OR it is not correctly tagged using , , and tags.

  • NA: A table of Contents is not present.

Related WCAG criteria

Headings (PDF-3-3)

Heading tags shall be used as follows:

  • If any heading tags are used, H1 shall be the first.
  • A document may use more than one instance of any specific tag level. For example, a tag level may be repeated if document content requires it.
  • If document semantics require a descending sequence of headers, such a sequence shall proceed in strict numerical order and shall not skip an intervening heading level. H1, H2, H3, is permissible, while H1, H3, is not. Heading levels are said to descend if they use a sequence from H1 to H2, H2 to H3, H3 to H4, etc.
  • A document may increment its heading sequence without restarting at H1 if document semantics require it. H1, H2, H3, H4, H3, is a permissible sequence.

Note: H1, H2, H3, H3, is a valid sequence if the content has one top-level heading, one second-level heading, and two consecutive third-level headings.

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Inspect the document for headings and corresponding tags.
  2. Verify that all heading content is tagged as headings using only to tags.
  3. Verify that headings follow a sequential order without any levels being skipped. For instance, the order should be Heading 1, followed by Heading 2, followed by Heading 3, and so on. There should be no omission of any numbers in the sequence.

Test outcomes

  • Pass: Heading texts are tagged using only to tags and headings follow a sequential order, increasing and decreasing by one level without any skips.

  • Fail: Heading texts are not tagged using to tags or Headings do not follow a sequential order and there are skips in the level increments.

Related WCAG criteria

Lists (PDF-3-4)

Lists shall be tagged with L tags with the following additional provisions:

  • Individual list items shall be specified by LI tags. Lbl and LBody tags may be included.
  • Lists shall only be used when required when the content is intended to be read as a list.

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Inspect the document for the text that looks like a list.
  2. Verify that all Lists are correctly tagged as a .
  3. Verify that all List Items are appropriately tagged using the tag and nested under .
  4. Verify that all bullets or numbers tagged using and nested under as first child element.
  5. Verify that List body content is tagged using and nested under as a second child element.
  6. Verify that caption(if available) is tagged as and placed as a first child element of before first .

Test outcomes

  • Pass: All the lists are correctly tagged and properly nested using , , , and if available.

  • Fail: Any list is not tagged using , , , and if available.

  • NA: No lists are present.

Related WCAG criteria

Footnotes and endnotes (PDF-3-5)

Footnotes, endnotes, note labels and references (cross-references or citations to locations within the document) shall be tagged with a Note tag. Each note tag shall have a unique entry in the ID key

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Inspect the document for Footnotes and End notes.
  2. Open the tags pane and review tags for all footnotes and endnotes.
  3. Verify that they are tagged rightly as .
  4. Verify that each Note tag has unique entry in the ID key.
  5. Verify that Note tag is always inside another block level tag.
  6. Verify the footnotes are read immediately after the black level content where it was referenced (not end notes).

Test outcomes

  • Pass: All footnotes and endnotes are correctly tagged as , each with unique IDs, and are in the correct reading order.

  • Fail: One or more footnotes or endnotes are incorrectly tagged, lack unique IDs, or are not in the correct reading order.

  • NA: The document has no footnotes or endnotes.

Related WCAG criteria

PDF UA/1 - 7.9 Notes and References

Mathematical expressions (PDF-3-6)

All mathematical expressions shall be enclosed within a Formula tag and shall have an Alt attribute.

How to test

Tool: Adobe Acrobat Pro

  1. Inspect the document for Math equations and formulas.
  2. Access the tags panel and identify the tags related to the above content.
  3. Verify that all math equations are rightly tagged as and have an alt text explaining the equation in words.

Test outcomes

  • Pass: All mathematical equations are tagged rightly as and have right alt text.

  • Fail: One or more mathematical equations are not tagged correctly.

  • NA: No mathematical equations are present.

Related WCAG criteria

PDF UA/1 - 7. Mathematical Expressions

These materials are intended for illustrative purposes only. They are provided AS-IS and should not be relied upon for marketing, legal, tax, financial, regulatory or other advice. Any links to third party sites are for your information only and do not constitute endorsement by or affiliation with Visa. Visa has no insight into and/or control over third party content and code and disclaims all liability for any such components.

Copyright © 2026 Visa. All rights reserved.