Free PDF Accessibility Checker

Allyant’s CommonLook PDF Validator

Our Adobe Acrobat Pro plugin, the CommonLook PDF Validator, will test the accessibility of individual PDFs, identifying any issues that may be blocking users from access—and compromising your organization’s compliance.

Download our free PDF checker today.

 

 

2025 – CL Free PDF Validator

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And CommonLook PDF Validator is more than automated scanning. It will guide you through manual testing, giving you the confidence to meet the most stringent accessibility standards, like WCAG or PDF/UA, providing a certification report for each tested document.

Key Features of our PDF Accessibility Checker.

  • Metadata examination: View and verify crucial metadata.
  • Title visibility assurance: Ensure that the document prominently displays the title (rather than just the file name).
  • Font embedding confirmation: Confirm that fonts are correctly embedded within the PDF document.
  • Unicode character mapping testing: Put characters in text objects to the test, ensuring accurate mapping to Unicode standards.
  • Tag management: Navigate the tags tree to verify proper tagging and logical reading order.
  • Tag nesting validation: Verify the nesting of tags to ensure the document’s structural integrity.
  • Heading tag precision: Confirm the correct utilization of heading tags for improved document organization.
  • Tag-based content highlighting: Easily highlight content in the PDF, and the PDF accessibility checker will immediately show you where that content is in the tags.
  • Tag properties access: Conveniently access tag properties, including alternative text, table summaries, tooltips, and more, to enhance document comprehensibility.
  • Alternative text assurance: Easily ensure that image alternative text is correct for the content it’s been assigned to.
  • Untagged content identification: Effortlessly locate untagged content within the document for comprehensive accessibility assessment.
  • List and link tags integrity check: Thoroughly test and verify the proper assembly of list and link tags to ensure document structure and navigation are accessible.
  • Link tag accessibility: Confirm the accuracy of alternative text within link tags, enhancing the usability of linked content.

System Requirements.

To download and use our free Adobe Acrobat Pro plugin CommonLook PDF Validator to check PDFs, ensure your workstation meets the minimum requirements, and follow instillation instructions carefully:

  • Operating System: Windows 8 or higher
  • Adobe Acrobat Version: Standard or Pro, Acrobat X (10) or higher

Download our Free Checker

Frequently Asked Questions

A PDF accessibility checker is a digital tool that checks whether a PDF document is accessible (readable) for everyone, including people with visual disabilities. Most accessibility checkers run the PDF document through a set of predetermined tests and checkpoints. If the document passes those tests, then it’s deemed as an accessible PDF.

To learn more about PDF accessibility testing, including features of an effective PDF accessibility checker, read our blog What is a PDF Accessibility Checker? What does it do? 

There are several ways in which you can test a PDF for accessibility, including leveraging free validation tools like the CommonLook PDF Validator. A testing tool will scan for proper tagging, alternative text for images, proper color contrast, logical reading order, and more.

You can also conduct your own screen reader simulation test using NVDA (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac). When activated, listen to how the content is read aloud to verify the reading order and logical structure.

At a high level, any PDF accessibility checker or testing tool should:

  • Make it clear what standards it is testing against.
  • Ensure it requires manual verification that automation cannot check on its own.
  • Validate it verifies the presence and accuracy of the document’s metadata and supporting properties.
  • Generates an accessibility and compliance report for each PDF

To learn more, read our blog Top Four Things to Look for in a PDF Accessibility Checker.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—or WCAG—are the globally recognized standards for web accessibility and have become the widely adopted standards for all digital content, including PDFs.

Laws like Section 508 and the ADA mandate digital content accessibility, and many cite WCAG as the standards to meet (whether WCAC version 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2). As such, ensuring PDF content conforms with WCAG standards will support legal compliance.

To test a PDF checking its compliance with laws like Section 508 or the ADA, first understand which version of WCAG the law requires. Some require the newer WCAG 2.1, while others only require conformance with the earlier version—2.0.

From there, leverage an automated PDF accessibility checker, like Allyant’s CommonLook PDF Validator to scan and quickly identify structural and content issues. An automated testing tool can check the tag structure, the presence of alternative text, the reading order, color contrast, and more—flagging any issues that fail to meet WCAG conformance.

Since automation is limited, manual evaluation will also help ensure compliance. You can conduct your own screen reader simulation with a built-in tool like NVDA (Windows) or Voice Over (Mac). Allow the tool to read the content—ensuring it’s read in a logical order.

It’s also important to check the document’s metadata, language, and title for better screen reader context.

Once tested, it’s important to take steps to correct PDFs to make them accessible. Software like CommonLook PDF is best for do-it-yourself PDF accessibility. Allyant also has a team of PDF remediators ready to make any number of PDFs accessible, guaranteeing compliance with Section 508, the ADA, and more.