PDF Compliance Checker

Upload a PDF and check its conformance against PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/UA-1, or run a general health check. Analyzes font embedding, metadata, color profiles, encryption, accessibility tags, and more - entirely in your browser.

Drop your PDF here

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Upload a PDF to check its compliance against archival or accessibility standards.

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Compliance Standard

Select the standard to check your PDF against.

Upload a PDF and click Run Compliance Check to see results here.

Why Use Our PDF Compliance Checker?

Four Standards Supported

Check PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/UA-1, or run a general PDF health check. The pdf compliance checker adapts its rules to the selected conformance level.

Detailed Per-Check Results

Every check shows a PASS, WARN, FAIL, or INFO result with a plain-language explanation, so you know exactly what needs fixing and why.

Category Filtering

Filter results by category - Metadata, Fonts, Color, Accessibility, Security, Annotations - to focus on the specific area you need to fix.

100% Private Browser Analysis

Your PDF never leaves your device during compliance checking. All structural analysis runs locally in your browser using pdf-lib - no server uploads, completely free.

Common Use Cases for PDF Compliance Checker

Long-Term Document Archiving

Verify PDFs conform to PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b before submitting to digital archives, record management systems, or government repositories that require archival-standard files.

Legal & Regulatory Submission

Check PDF/A compliance of contracts, case filings, and regulatory documents before submission to courts, agencies, or compliance systems that mandate PDF/A format.

Accessibility Compliance

Run PDF/UA-1 checks on public-facing documents to identify missing tags, absent alt text indicators, and missing language declarations before distribution.

Pre-Publication Quality Check

Use the pdf compliance checker as a pre-publication gate to catch font embedding failures, missing metadata, and unembedded color profiles before final release.

Document Management Audits

Batch-audit PDFs in your document management system to identify files that need remediation to meet ISO 19005 or ISO 14289 compliance standards.

Developer & Print Pre-Flight

Use the general health check to catch JavaScript entries, encryption, unembedded fonts, and inconsistent page sizes before printing or distributing PDF files.

Understanding PDF Compliance Standards

What are PDF/A and PDF/UA?

PDF/A (ISO 19005) is a family of ISO standards for long-term archiving of electronic documents. PDF/A files must be completely self-contained: all fonts embedded, color profiles declared, XMP metadata present, and no external dependencies, JavaScript, or encryption. PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) is the Universal Accessibility standard - it requires tagged document structure, a declared language, alt text for images, and logical reading order so screen readers and assistive technologies can process the content correctly. Our pdf compliance checker audits both families.

How Our PDF Compliance Checker Works

Upload your PDF - the file is loaded entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. No server upload occurs during pdf compliance checking.
Select a standard - choose PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/UA-1, or General Health Check. The tool applies the relevant rule set for the selected conformance level.
Review the results - each check returns PASS, WARN, FAIL, or INFO with a plain-language detail. Filter by category to focus on specific areas, and use the summary panel to see your overall compliance score at a glance.

What Gets Checked

Metadata - Document title, author, XMP metadata stream presence (required for PDF/A)
Fonts - Font embedding status; PDF/A requires all fonts to be fully embedded
Color & OutputIntent- PDF/A requires an OutputIntent entry declaring the document's color profile
Security & Actions - Encryption, JavaScript, and catalog-level actions are forbidden in PDF/A; flagged as warnings in general mode
Accessibility - Tagged structure tree, MarkInfo/Marked flag, and document language declaration for PDF/UA-1 conformance
Annotations & Embedded Files - Non-standard annotation subtypes and embedded file attachments are checked against standard requirements

Privacy, Security & Availability

The pdf compliance checker performs all analysis 100% client-side in your browser using pdf-lib. Your PDF is parsed and checked on your device - never uploaded to any server. The tool is completely free with no account, no file size restrictions, and no limits on the number of compliance checks you run. Note that the checker provides a structural pre-flight analysis; for legal certification purposes, a formal accredited validation service may be required.

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Frequently Asked Questions About PDF Compliance Checker

The checker supports PDF/A-1b (ISO 19005-1), PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005-2), PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1), and a General PDF Health Check mode that audits common structural and metadata issues.

PDF/A is an ISO standard for long-term archiving of electronic documents. A PDF/A-compliant file must embed all fonts, include XMP metadata, declare a color profile, and exclude features like encryption, JavaScript, and external content dependencies.

PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) is an ISO standard ensuring PDF documents are accessible to users with disabilities. A PDF/UA-compliant file must be tagged with a logical structure tree, declare the document language, and provide alternative text for images.

No. This tool performs a practical structural analysis of the PDF and flags common conformance issues. For legal or regulatory purposes, a formal certification from an accredited validation service is required. The results here provide a useful pre-flight check.

No. All analysis runs 100% locally in your browser using pdf-lib. Your PDF never leaves your device - nothing is uploaded to any server.

Each failed check includes a description of what is missing or non-conforming. You can then use other PDF tools (like the PDF/A Converter, Metadata Editor, or Add Alt Text tools) to fix the specific issues before re-checking.

Yes. The pdf compliance checker is completely free to use with no account, no file size restrictions, and no limits on the number of checks.