How can I make sure the reading order in my PDF is correct?

After auto-tagging, use the 'Reading Order tool' in Acrobat. Visually check the numbered boxes on the page to see if they follow a logical flow. Drag and drop boxes or change their order if needed to correct the reading sequence.

Spot Boundary Changes in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compare [document=LastYearsChart_2024.pdf] with [document=RevisedChart_2025.pdf] and generate a…+

Compare [document=LastYearsChart_2024.pdf] with [document=RevisedChart_2025.pdf] and generate a comparison report highlighting boundary changes so I can spot unintended edits.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Make differences obvious and actionable for QA: run a page-by-page comparison between…+

Make differences obvious and actionable for QA: run a page-by-page comparison between [document=LastYearsChart_2024.pdf] and [document=RevisedChart_2025.pdf], produce a report that flags boundary geometry changes, list pages and coordinates of altered vertices, and create an annotated PDF showing visual diffs with notes where changes reduce parcel area by more than [threshold=1%] so I can decide if they were intended.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open the PDF document you want to check for accessibility.
2
Click the Tools tab at the top of the Acrobat window.
3
Scroll through the list and select Accessibility to add the Accessibility tools to your workspace if they are not already visible.
Best practiceIf you do not see the Accessibility tools, you may need to add them from the Tools pane as they are not shown by default.
4
In the Accessibility tools pane, click Full Check.
5
In the Accessibility Checker Options dialog, review the settings and click Start Checking.
Best practiceFor a thorough check, ensure all checkboxes are selected before starting the check.
6
Review the results displayed in the Accessibility Checker panel on the left side of the screen.

In the appWith the API

You can right-click in the Navigation Pane to show the Accessibility tags panel for more detailed tag inspection.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

AccessibilityMaking sure everyone, including people with disabilities, can use something.ExampleThe website was designed with Accessibility in mind, so screen readers can easily navigate it.

Alt TextA short description of an image or media for people who can't see it.

Reading OrderThe order in which a screen reader reads the content on a page.

Who does this

3 roles

Accessibility SpecialistInstructional DesignerDocument Remediator

FAQ

about this task

PDF/UA is a specific standard for PDF documents, focusing on their internal structure. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a broader, technology-neutral standard for web content. Often, regulated work needs to meet both PDF/UA and WCAG, as they cover different aspects of accessibility.

Fixing accessibility issues in the original document, like a Word file, is much more efficient. When you export an accessible source document to PDF, many accessibility features are kept. This saves a lot of time and effort compared to fixing an untagged PDF later, which can be very time-consuming.

After auto-tagging, use the 'Reading Order tool' in Acrobat.
Visually check the numbered boxes on the page to see if they follow a logical flow.
Drag and drop boxes or change their order if needed to correct the reading sequence.

Tagging adds hidden structural information to a PDF, identifying elements like headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables. This is the biggest factor for PDF accessibility because screen readers and other assistive technologies rely on these tags to understand and navigate the document's content, making it usable for people with visual impairments.

Yes, Adobe Acrobat's auto-tagging feature, powered by Sensei, is designed to work with both native and scanned PDFs. It can identify and tag elements like headings, tables, and paragraphs even in scanned documents, helping to make them more accessible.

Spot Boundary Changes

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Other guides