List of Axe PDF 2.0 rules
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These are automated accessibility checks. Manual checks are also required. Learn how through our accessibility curriculum.
See the list of axe pdf versions
Rule ID | Rule Name | Description |
---|---|---|
text-alternative-figure | Images/Figures in PDF documents must have alternate text | Ensures <figure> elements have alternate text |
bookmark-usage | Bookmarks should be utilized in long documents | Ensures bookmarks are used |
required-form-controls | Required fields must be identified both visually and programmatically | Ensures labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input |
table-element-markup | Relevant table elements, properties, and associations must be utilized for data tables | Ensures a table and its components are using the appropriate tags |
headings-markup | Heading content must be tagged with a heading tag and level | Ensures that the headings have appropriate tags |
interactive-form-controls | Interactive form controls must have Labels/Tooltips associated | Ensures every form element has a label |
link-tag-annotations | Links must be tagged with Link tags with appropriate text object association | Ensures links are tagged appropriately |
name-role-value-formfields | Form fields in PDF documents must include their name, role, state, and value information | Ensures each form field has valid name, role, state, and value |
alt-text-links | Links in PDF documents must have alternate replacement text | Ensures links have alternate text |
doc-title-spec | Document title must be provided | Ensures each document contains a title |
lang-spec-phrase | Language for passages or phrases must be specified where it does not match with the document language | Ensures that the language for passages or phrases is correctly specified |
proper-list-tagging | Appropriate and relevant list tags must be used to tag list content | Ensures that lists are structured correctly |
untagged-element | Document must not contain untagged elements | Ensures that all elements in the document are tagged |
suspect-entry | For a document that has correct reading order, the Suspects key must not be set to True | Ensures that the Suspects key is not marked as True |
metadata-stream | Document must contain an XMP metadata stream | Ensures the document contains required metadata stream |
pdfua-identifier | XMP metadata stream in the Catalog dictionary must include the PDF/UA identifier | Ensures the document metadata includes PDF/UA identifier |
doc-title-spec | XMP metadata stream must contain dc:title | Ensures the document metadata contains document title |
displaydoctitle-key | ViewerPreferences dictionary of the Catalog dictionary must contain a DisplayDocTitle key | Ensures the document dictionary contains DisplayDocTitle key |
displaydoctitle-key | ViewerPreferences dictionary of the Catalog dictionary must contain a DisplayDocTitle key that has an appropriate value that is not false | Ensures the document dictionary contains DisplayDocTitle key that is not false |
metadata-lang | Natural language for document metadata must be specified | Ensures that the document metadata language can be determined |
heading-order-first | First heading tag for the document must be <H1> | Ensures that the first heading in the document is <H1> |
heading-order | Heading levels must be used in the correct order and are not skipped | Ensures the headings are not skipped in descending sequence |
headings-markup | Document must not use both <H> and <H#> tags | Ensures correct heading tags are utilized |
artifact-inside-content | Content marked as Artifact must not be present inside tagged content | Ensures artifacts are not present inside tagged content |
content-inside-artifact | Tagged content must not be present inside content marked as Artifact | Ensures tagged content is not present inside artifact |
content-inside-artifact | Content must be either marked as Artifact or tagged as real content | Ensures all content is either tagged or marked as artifact |
table-element-markup | Table-related structure element must conform to the syntax defined in ISO 32000-1, Table 337 | Ensures Tables are tagged according to ISO 32001 standards |
proper-list-tagging | List-related structure element must conform to Table 336 in ISO 32000-1 | Ensures Lists are tagged according to ISO 32001 standards |
toc-tagging | A TOC-related structure element must conform to Table 333 in ISO 32000-1 | Ensures TOC is tagged according to ISO 32001 standards |
ruby-tagging | A Ruby-related structure element must conform to Table 338 in ISO 32000-1 | Ensures a Ruby related structure element is tagged according to ISO 32001 standards |
warichu-tagging | A Warichu-related structure element must conform to Table 338 in ISO 32000-1 | Ensures a Warichu related structure element is tagged according to ISO 32001 standards |
lang-def-catalog | Natural language for text in page content must be specified | Ensures natural language for text in page content is specified |
lang-def-catalog | Natural language for text in Alt, ActualText and E attributes must be specified | Ensures natural language for text in Alternate Text and related elements is specified |
lang-def-catalog | Natural language in the Contents entry for annotations must be specified | Ensures natural language for content in annotations is specified |
text-alternative-figure | <Figure> tag alternative or replacement text must be present | Ensures alternate text for a Figure element is present |
headings-markup | Nodes must not contain more than one <H> tag | Ensures conflicting heading tags are not applied to a node |
alt-text-formula | <Formula> tag must contain an Alt attribute | Ensures alternate text for a Formula element is present |
unicode-mapping | Unicode mapping requirements must be met | Ensures that Unicode mapping requirements are met |
annot-no-content-key | An annotation other than Link, Widget, or Popup and does not have a Contents key must have an alternative description | Ensures annotations that do not have Contents key contain an alternate description |
alt-hidden-formfield | A hidden form field that does not have a TU key must have an alternative description in the enclosing structure element | Ensures that a hidden form field contains an alternate description |
alt-link-annotation | A link annotation must include an alternate description in its Contents entry | Ensure that a link annotation includes an alternate description |
fonts-embed | A font used by text in the document must be embedded in the document | Ensures that the fonts used in the document are embedded in the document |
Axe browser extensions
The axe features are integrated into the developer tools.
Contribute to axe on 
- You can find the axe-core source code on GitHub.
- See also the axe-core changelog on GitHub.
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