PDF Remediator

About

PDF Remediator is an assisted accessibility remediation copilot. Upload a PDF to get an automated first pass, clear remediation-mode labeling (content-bound vs analysis-only), and guided next steps for final manual validation before publishing.

Release Notes

Updated with each deployment to summarize shipped enhancements and quality improvements. The newest entry reflects what is in the current build.

Release 2026.02.25 (February 25, 2026)

Scoring and remediation outputs are now more conservative and easier to trust.

  • Added score guardrails so critical structural risks cannot be reported as fully accessible.
  • Added explicit remediation mode labeling: content-bound vs analysis-only.
  • Added source-type assessment to flag checker/report artifacts vs source content PDFs.
  • Added Structural Integrity, Alt Text, and Manual Structure workspaces on compare view.
  • Added QA Evidence Pack export for audit-ready before/after reporting.
  • Moved to compact immutable remediation metadata to reduce second-pass drift.
  • Hardened table and image heuristics to reduce synthetic structures and better flag true image elements.
  • Expanded regression coverage with PDF Accessibility agent fixture checks.

2-Minute Quick Start

  1. Go to the App page and upload your PDF.
  2. Wait for the review to finish (usually under a few minutes, depending on file size).
  3. Download the remediated PDF.
  4. Use the “What To Do Next” checklist to complete remaining manual fixes.
  5. Re-upload the revised PDF for a final validation check before publishing.

What This Tool Is Best For

  • Fast first-pass remediation of common PDF accessibility issues.
  • Identifying where manual edits are still required before publication.
  • Comparing before/after results so teams can quickly review progress.
  • Reducing remediation effort while keeping humans in control of final compliance decisions.

What Happens After You Upload

The app runs a step-by-step workflow and shows progress as each phase completes:

  1. Read the file — Reviews text, headings, links, forms, and metadata.
  2. Read scanned pages — If the PDF is image-based, OCR is used to add searchable text.
  3. Check for issues — Looks for common problems in headings, images, tables, lists, links, and form fields.
  4. Fix what it can safely — Applies supported automatic fixes and builds an updated PDF.
  5. Check again and compare — Runs the checks again and shows before/after results side by side.
  6. Set remediation mode — Marks output as content-bound when structural bindings are reliable, or analysis-only when manual structural tagging is still required.
  7. Optional standards check — If veraPDF is enabled in your environment, the app runs an additional standards check.
  8. Next steps — Produces a practical checklist of remaining manual fixes.

Accessibility Features Applied

  • Preserves and evaluates document tag structure, then flags where manual tag repair is required.
  • Detects unbound structure conditions and prevents those files from being treated as fully remediated.
  • Updates language and file details used by accessibility tools.
  • Keeps or creates bookmarks from detected headings when possible.
  • Rewrites vague link text (like “click here”) to clearer wording.
  • Adds missing form labels based on field names when possible.
  • Detects real PDF image content from page rendering data and flags missing alt text.
  • Stores compact immutable remediation metadata to improve repeat-run consistency.
  • Adds searchable text support for scanned PDFs.
  • Tries to improve reading order in some multi-column layouts.
  • Checks the updated file again and shows a before/after comparison.

How To Interpret Results

  • Automated Check Score reflects this app's internal checks, not a legal/compliance guarantee.
  • veraPDF status is an independent external PDF/UA technical verification when enabled.
  • 100% is only shown for remediated output when critical internal findings are clear and external verification is compliant.
  • Unbound structure detection applies a strict score ceiling and routes output to analysis-only mode.
  • Analysis-only mode means manual structural tagging remains required before release.

What You Should Still Review Manually

  • Heading order and document structure in long or complex files.
  • Table headers, merged cells, and reading order in complex tables.
  • Meaningful alt text for charts, diagrams, and instructional images.
  • Color contrast and visual-only cues that automated checks may miss.
  • Final usability with assistive technology before publishing.

Privacy

Most processing happens in your browser. If OCR or veraPDF is enabled in your setup, the file may be sent to those services during processing. Otherwise, files stay on your device and are cleared when you close the page.

Limitations

Automatic fixes can solve many common issues, but they do not guarantee full WCAG or PDF/UA compliance. Some checks are best-effort only (especially color contrast, infographic layouts, and complex tables), and many files still need manual edits. If content-bound structural tagging cannot be verified, the output is treated as analysis-only. If veraPDF is enabled, it adds an independent technical check, but you should still complete manual review with desktop tools and assistive technology before publishing.

Start remediating