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Understanding accessible PDF conversion
Who is this article for?
Users and administrators interested in accessible PDF conversions.
Administrator permissions required.
Accessible PDF conversion makes the PDFs that Ideagen Quality Management Core generates accessible to screen readers and other assistive technology, by adding accessibility tags (headings, tables and reading order) during conversion.
This article outlines how to enable accessible PDF conversion, the processing of file types, and recommended file limits.
Enabling accessible PDF conversion
Accessible PDF conversion can be enabled in System Settings by users with System Setting Administration permissions.
Important: Accessible PDF conversion is off by default and must be turned on by an administrator in System Settings. Once turned on, it applies to Word, Excel, and PDF source files converted from that point forward — it does not backfill documents that were converted before the toggle was enabled.
To enable accessible PDF conversion:
- Go to System Settings.
- Locate the Accessible PDF conversion toggle.
- Turn the toggle on.
- Click Save Changes.
File types covered
When the accessible PDF conversion toggle is on, conversion metadata and heading, table, and image reading order are updated to improve the accessibility of generated PDFs. This processing applies to specific file types.
| Source file type | Accessibility remediation applied? |
| Word (doc, dot, docm, dotm, docx, dotx) | Yes |
| Excel (xls, xlsx, xlsm, xlsb, xltx, xltm) | Yes |
| Yes — see below, depends on whether the uploaded PDF already has accessibility tagging. | |
| CSV | No — converted to a standard PDF without accessibility tags. |
| Other file types | No — accessibility processing does not run against unsupported file types during conversion. |
Important: Converted PDFs for the supported file types carry corrected accessibility metadata, but only when the Accessible PDF conversion toggle is turned on in System Settings.
Understanding PDF uploads versus Word and Excel conversions
Word and Excel files are converted to PDF by Ideagen Quality Management Core, so accessibility tagging (headings, tables, image reading order) is built in fresh every time. An uploaded PDF is already a PDF, so Ideagen Quality Management Core can only work with whatever structure the file already has:
- Already tagged (for example, exported properly from another accessible source) — its existing headings, tables, and image reading order are carried through, and its accessibility metadata is updated
- Not tagged (for example, a scanned page or a photo of a document) — there is no underlying structure to build on, so accessibility tagging cannot be added. The file's accessibility metadata is still updated, but this does not make the file PDF accessibility compliant — a scanned or image-only PDF cannot be made fully accessible this way
For full accessibility remediation, upload a properly tagged PDF, or provide the original file as Word or Excel so Ideagen Quality Management Core can build accessibility tagging from scratch.
Checking whether a PDF is accessible (tagged)
Ideagen Quality Management Core records whether each new PDF was generated with accessibility tags (tagged PDF) or without them (untagged PDF). You can check the status in three places:
-
Document Properties › General tab — the PDF Accessibility row, under Generate PDF, shows the status and a short explanation:
-
Document viewer — the information bar at the bottom of the viewer shows Accessibility with the status. For an untagged PDF, a yellow warning strip also appears above the document, explaining why.
Document Properties › History tab — for an untagged PDF, the revision's Document Automation entry records when the PDF was generated and why it wasn't tagged.
PDF accessibility status
| Status | Description | Action required |
|---|---|---|
| Tagged PDF | The PDF was generated with accessibility tags, so screen readers and accessibility checkers can read its headings, tables and reading order. | No action required. |
| Untagged PDF | The PDF was generated without accessibility tags, usually because the file was over the recommended limit for its type. The PDF can still be viewed and printed as normal, but screen readers may not read it correctly. | See Troubleshooting why a PDF wasn't tagged. |
| Tagging Pending | The file is within the limit and the PDF is still being generated and in awaiting to be published. For an uploaded PDF, tags are added when the document is published. | Check back once the document automation has finished. |
Troubleshooting why a PDF wasn't tagged
When a PDF is untagged, Ideagen Quality Management Core tells you why.
The example below shows the reason on the History tab in the Document Automation entry for a Word file over 50 MB:
The example below shows in the yellow warning strip at the top of the document viewer for an Excel file over the recommended number of rows:
| Reason shown | Action required |
|---|---|
| The Excel file was over the accessibility row limit (3,500 rows; blank and formatted rows count). | Remove unused worksheets, rows and formatting so the workbook has 3,500 rows or fewer across all worksheets, then check in a new revision. |
| The Word file was over the 50 MB accessibility size limit. | Reduce the file to 50 MB or less (for example, compress images or split the document) and check in a new revision. |
| The uploaded PDF was over the 50 MB limit. | Upload a PDF of 50 MB or less. |
| Accessibility tags couldn't be added to this PDF. | The uploaded PDF has no structure to tag (for example, a scanned document). Upload a PDF that already has accessibility tags, or upload the original Word or Excel file. |
Recommended file limits
Large files take longer to convert and can delay other document automation tasks. To keep conversion reliable, we recommend staying within the limits below.
When accessible PDF conversion is enabled, a file over the recommended limit is still converted to PDF, but without accessibility tags. The PDF accessibility status shows this and explains why - see Checking whether a PDF is accessible (tagged) and Troubleshooting why a PDF wasn't tagged.
| Source file type | Recommended limit per file with accessible PDF conversion (toggle on) | Recommended limit per file with standard PDF conversion (toggle off) | Recommended files per upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word (doc, dot, docm, dotm, docx, dotx) | 50 MB | 50 MB | Up to 20 |
| Excel (xls, xlsx, xlsm, xlsb, xltx, xltm) | 3,500 rows | 20,000 rows | Up to 20 |
| 50 MB | N/A | Up to 20 |
The Excel limit depends on how much content the spreadsheet holds, not its file size. Sheets with many columns reach the limit sooner.
For uploaded PDFs, the number of pages matters more than the file size. Very long PDFs may take a long time to process or may not be remediated.
Files exceeding recommended limits
Over the accessible limit: the file still converts to a standard PDF, but the PDF may not include accessibility tagging.
Over the standard limit: conversion may take a long time and delay other document automation tasks.
Tips for large files
Split large Word documents into smaller documents.
Remove unused worksheets, rows and columns from Excel files.
Compress or resize large images before uploading.
Upload large batches in groups of 20 files or fewer.