How to make an accessible, tagged PDF from Google Docs

By Caner Kaya, Kayabyte

Yes, Google Docs exports tagged PDFs today. Since an update that Google expected to finish rolling out by mid January 2025, File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf) tags paragraphs, headings, links, image alt text and lists. That is a good start, but the file is not a finished PDF/UA document: in my own tests in October 2026 the export still failed several PDF/UA-1 rules, and some of those can’t be fixed from inside Google Docs.

Below is what the built-in export gives you, how to get the most out of it, and the routes that go further: Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and the free checkers to test the result.

Does Google Docs export a tagged PDF?

Yes. In December 2024 Google announced improved accessibility tagging for PDFs exported from Google Docs: “we’ve improved tagging for paragraphs, headings, hyperlinks, image alt text, and lists”. It applies to all Google Workspace customers and personal Google accounts, with the rollout expected to finish by mid January 2025.

To export, open the document and choose File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf) (Google’s help).

Google’s help also mentions File > Print and Save as PDF for very large documents. I haven’t tested whether that file carries the same tags, so use Download when accessibility matters.

What the Google Docs PDF includes, and what it misses

I exported test documents from Google Docs in October 2026 and checked them with veraPDF, the open-source PDF/UA validator.

What was there:

A tag structure, with headings (H1, H2 and so on), lists, tables and paragraphs.
Images as figures, with the alt text you typed in Google Docs.
The document title set to show in the PDF viewer’s title bar.
A document language.

What failed PDF/UA-1:

No XMP metadata. PDF/UA requires a metadata stream in the file, and the export has none.
The language is written in the wrong form. The file said en_GB; a valid language tag is en-GB.
Links have no description. PDF/UA wants each link annotation to carry a text description.
Table header cells have no scope. Header cells were tagged, but without the attribute that says whether they head a row or a column.
Some content is neither tagged nor marked as decoration. PDF/UA says everything on the page must be one or the other, and parts of each page were left out of the structure.

One more failure came from my test document itself: it skipped from Heading 2 to Heading 4. PDF/UA checks heading levels, so fix that in the document before you export.

Schools have noticed the same gaps. Toronto Metropolitan University’s document accessibility guide notes the January 2025 improvement but still suggests sharing the Google Doc itself, view-only, instead of a PDF. William & Mary’s Google Docs guide warns that tables and reading order may not survive the export.

How do I get the best PDF straight from Google Docs?

The export can only tag what the document contains, so fix the source first:

Use real headings. Select the text, click Normal text in the toolbar and choose a heading level. Open View > Show outline to see the structure (Google’s help). Use the levels in order, without gaps.
Add alt text to every image. Select the image, click Image options, then Alt text, or press Ctrl + Alt + Y (Command + Option + Y on a Mac) (Google’s help).
Use real lists. Use the bulleted and numbered list buttons, not typed dashes or numbers.
Give data tables a heading row and don’t use tables for layout. Google’s accessibility tips say the same.
Write link text that says where the link goes, not “click here”.
Set the language with File > Language (Google’s help).
Give the document a real title. “Untitled document” ends up as the PDF title.

Then export with File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf). For many readers, that file is usable with a screen reader. It just won’t pass a strict PDF/UA check.

How do I make a tagged PDF with Microsoft Word?

If you have Word, you can take the document through it:

In Google Docs, choose File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).
Open the file in Word and choose Review > Check Accessibility (Microsoft’s help). Fix what it lists. It’s a good second opinion on headings, alt text and tables, and it’s available in Word for Windows, Mac and the web.
Save as PDF with tags (Microsoft’s help):
- Windows: File > Save As (or Save a Copy), choose PDF, click Options and make sure Document structure tags for accessibility is ticked.
- Mac: in the save dialog, choose PDF and select Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service). Microsoft says the service doesn’t store your file.
- Word for the web: File > Save As > Download as PDF. There’s no tagging option to set.

Things to watch: the conversion from Google Docs to Word can shift layout, so look through the Word file before you save the PDF. Also check that your headings and alt text came across, because you’ll be fixing the Word copy from now on, not the Google Doc.

How do I fix a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro?

Acrobat Pro is the paid tool many accessibility teams use to finish a PDF. Open the PDF and go to All tools > View more > Prepare for accessibility. From there you can run Check for accessibility, fix the reading order and tags, and set alternate text (Adobe’s help). Since the Google Docs export is already tagged, you’ll usually be correcting tags rather than auto-tagging from scratch.

The checker can’t judge everything. It flags Logical Reading Order and Color contrast for a manual check every time, because it has no way to know whether they’re right (University of Michigan guide). You look, then mark them as passed.

How do I check whether a PDF is accessible?

Use more than one check:

PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker) is free and checks a PDF against PDF/UA and WCAG, with a screen reader preview of the tag structure. The current version is PAC 2026. It runs on Windows only; the makers say a Mac version is in development (PAC FAQ). Its own FAQ says the result “can therefore not be legally binding, but it is an indicator”, because not every requirement can be checked by software.
veraPDF is open source and validates PDF/UA (veraPDF). It’s stricter and more technical than PAC, and good for confirming the file-level rules in the list above.
Acrobat Pro’s Accessibility Check, as above.
A screen reader. Listen to the PDF once with NVDA (free, Windows) or VoiceOver (built into macOS). It’s the only way to hear whether the reading order and alt text make sense.

PDF/UA is the ISO 14289 standard for accessible PDF. Most checkers today test PDF/UA-1. PAC says full support for the newer PDF/UA-2 is planned but not dated.

Where the built-in options stop

Google Docs can’t add the file-level parts PDF/UA needs: XMP metadata, link descriptions, table header scope, a valid language tag and marking decoration. You can’t reach these from the document.
No accessibility checker in Google Docs. Google’s accessibility tips tell you what to do, but nothing in Docs checks it for you.
No way to mark an image as decorative. Google’s help describes no such option, so a screen reader still announces the image (Reed College guide).
The Word route means leaving Google Docs. You maintain a second copy, and every edit means doing it again.
Acrobat Pro costs money, and fixing tags by hand takes time for every new version of the document.

Free workarounds worth trying first

Share the Google Doc instead of a PDF. If readers don’t need a file, share the document view-only, or publish it to the web (File > Share > Publish to web). Google says a published document appears as a single scrollable HTML page, which many screen reader users find easier to read (Google’s help).
Fix the source and use Google’s own export. If nobody has asked for PDF/UA, a well-structured Google Doc exported with Download is often good enough. Test it with PAC and a screen reader.
Use Word’s free checker as a second opinion, even if you keep publishing from Google Docs.

An add-on that finishes the PDF inside Google Docs

Full disclosure: I built Kayabyte Accessibility Checker, an add-on for Google Docs and Google Slides. It checks a document for common problems based on WCAG 2.1 AA (missing alt text, skipped headings, contrast, typed lists, link text and more) and lets you fix most of them in place.

For PDFs, Export tagged PDF starts from Google’s own tagged export and adds what PDF/UA-1 also needs: the document title and language, XMP metadata, link descriptions, header cells for tables, the right structure for nested lists, a tab order that follows the structure, and decoration marked so screen readers skip it. The pages look exactly the same. The PDF is saved to My Drive. If the document still has a problem that must be fixed at the source, such as missing alt text or a skipped heading level, the add-on lists it and only writes the PDF/UA identifier into the file when no known problem remains. I test the output with veraPDF.

What it doesn’t do: it doesn’t write alt text for you, and it can’t tell whether your alt text is good or your reading order makes sense. A person still has to check that, ideally with a screen reader. It exports PDFs from Google Docs only, not from Google Slides. Using it doesn’t by itself make a PDF compliant with any law or standard; the result is prepared for PDF/UA. Document content stays in your Google account and is never sent to Kayabyte.

The free plan includes all checks, one-by-one fixes and 3 tagged PDFs a month. Pro adds Fix all and unlimited tagged PDFs for $6 per user per month or $60 per year, with a 14-day free trial. It’s on the Google Workspace Marketplace.

FAQ

Is the PDF from Google Docs accessible? It’s tagged, with headings, lists, links and alt text, so a screen reader can use it. It doesn’t pass a strict PDF/UA-1 check, because some file-level parts are missing.

Can I export a tagged PDF from Google Slides? Google’s tagging announcement was for Google Docs. If you need an accessible PDF of a presentation, check the exported file with PAC before you rely on it, or share the presentation itself. Google says some screen reader users find the HTML view of a presentation easier to navigate.

Is PAC free on a Mac? PAC is free but Windows-only today. On a Mac, use veraPDF, Acrobat Pro’s checker or a Windows machine.

Does a passing PAC report mean my PDF is compliant? No. PAC itself says its result is an indicator, not legally binding. Automatic checks can’t judge whether alt text or reading order makes sense.

Last checked: 22 October 2026

Questions or corrections: support@kayabyte.dev. Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Drive are trademarks of Google LLC. Microsoft Word is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Inc. Kayabyte is an independent developer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google, Microsoft or Adobe.