How to make PDFs accessible

You must check that any link text in your PDF describes where the link is taking the user.

This helps users understand where a link will take them and decide whether they want to click on it. It also helps people using screen readers in particular - they might skip straight to the links rather than reading all the text in your PDF. So, the link text needs to make sense out of context.

You should try to avoid:

• Linking to untrustworthy sites. Or sites where a user must pay or register to see the information
• Using images or icons as links

How to write accessible link text

If you find any inaccessible link text in your PDF, you must rewrite it:

• Consider starting with an action like download, visit, how to, go to, find out, read...
• Then use either:
  • The title of the web page you're linking to
  • A description of the web page you're linking to

Good link text examples:

• 'How to create accessible content'
• 'Go to GOV.UK's working, jobs and pensions page'
• 'NHS heatwave guidance'
• 'What happens next when you contact us'

Bad link text examples:

• 'Click here' - it is too vague and not everyone can see where 'here' is
• 'Read this link' - 'this' is not descriptive, and you don't need to tell users it's a link
• 'Learn more - 'more' is not descriptive

You can include urls in your PDF if they are descriptive and don't include 'https://'.

Good URL link text examples:

• www.norfolk.gov.uk/digital
• www.norfolk.gov.uk/contactus

Bad URL link text examples:

• https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/digital/
• www.bit.ly/49rYKgx

We recommend writing email addresses out in full - like 'email@example.com' rather than 'email us'. This is because:

• Email addresses are usually short and descriptive
• This allows users to find out the email address without clicking the link. Clicking the link may open an application the user doesn't want to use

Read GOV.UK's guidance on how to write link text.  

Edit the source document

Most PDFs on our websites were created in Word originally.

The easiest way to make the written content in your PDF accessible is to edit the source document (eg Word), and then reconvert it to a PDF.

Edit the PDF

You need Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your PDF. You should only edit the PDF if you can't edit the source document. This is because:

• It's usually easier to edit the source document than the PDF
• Your PDF may have other accessibility issues that you can only fix in the source document
• If you edit the PDF but then update your source document in the future, you will need to redo all the edits you made to the original PDF

Follow Adobe's guide on editing text and images in PDF files.