Links in PDF documents must have alternate replacement text
Rule ID:
alt-text-links
Ruleset:
axe-pdf 2.0
User Impact:
Moderate
Guidelines:
WCAG 2.1 (A), WCAG 2.0 (A)
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Compliance Data & Impact
Disabilities Affected
- Blind
- Deafblind
- Mobility
Standard(s)
- WCAG 2.1 (A)
- WCAG 2.0 (A)
WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.1 (A)]
- 2.4.4: MUST: Link Purpose (In Context)
WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.0 (A)]
- 2.4.4: MUST: Link Purpose (In Context)
How to Fix the Problem
Provide alternate text for links.
In Acrobat Adobe Pro:
- In the View menu, open the Tag panel by selecting Navigation Panels > Tags.
- Locate the Link tag in the tag tree, access the context menu for the link, and select Properties.
- In the TouchUp Properties dialog, in the Tags tab, enter replacement text in the Alternate Text field. Screen readers will read this text instead of the entire URI.
Note: Adobe Acrobat Pro is the most common tool for PDF remediations, but other tools and software are also available and can be used to remediate the PDF.
Why it Matters
Screen readers can read visible link text, but replacing the screen text with meaningful alternate text for links in a PDF document can make links more accessible.
Rule Description
Ensures links have alternate text
The Algorithm (in simple terms)
Links in PDF documents must have alternate replacement text
Resources
Deque University Course Pages (subscription required)
No related course information available.
Refer to the complete list of axe 2.0 rules.
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