This is how Accessful works
Accessful audits and remediates PDFs in four steps: you submit the document, the AI analyses its structure and content, adds the missing structural layer and delivers an accessible PDF with an audit report – typically in seconds.
Four steps at a glance
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Submit PDF
Drag-and-drop in the web app or automated via the REST API – individually, as a batch or as a URL list directly from your systems.
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Analyse document
The AI captures text, layout and image content and finds missing tags, incorrect reading order, missing alt text and unmarked tables and lists.
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Remediate automatically
Accessful adds the missing structural layer directly to the document while preserving its layout and content exactly.
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Receive result
Download the accessible PDF in line with PDF/UA-2 together with its audit-ready report through the web app or API.
Transfer PDF: via web app or API
You decide how documents get to Accessful: Using the web app, you drag and drop individual PDFs or entire stacks into the browser. Your systems automatically transfer documents via the REST API – as a file upload or as a URL list. Batch processing also accepts thousands of documents in one go.
- Drag and drop in the web app, without installation
- API upload as a file or via URL list
- Batch processing of thousands of documents
- Status can be viewed at any time: Live status in the web app, status query and webhooks via the API
Analysis: The AI understands your document
The AI analyses your document as a whole – its text, layout and visual content – in over 110 languages. This understanding enables it to identify barriers that prevent screen-reader users from accessing the content:
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Missing or incorrect tags
Headings, paragraphs and other structural elements that are not suitable for assistive technologies.
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Incorrect reading order
Content that would be read out in the wrong order – typical in multi-column or complex layouts.
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Missing alt text
Images, graphics and diagrams without alternative text – otherwise invisible to screen readers.
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Untagged tables and lists
Tables without header assignment and lists that cannot be recognised as a list structure.
Accessful reliably detects typical barriers. The audit report clearly shows criteria that cannot be evaluated automatically.
Remediation: only the structural layer changes
The correction starts exclusively at the structural layer - the invisible layer that makes the content accessible to assistive technologies. Accessful adds tags, reading order and alt text.
The visible document remains untouched: after the correction, the layout, text and graphics are exactly the same as before - what your recipients see is the document that you handed over.
- Tags for headings, paragraphs, lists and tables
- Correct reading order, even for complex pages
- Alt text from the visual context
- No change to layout or content
Result: Accessible PDF plus audit report
The result is an accessible PDF in line with PDF/UA-2, WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549. You also receive an audit-ready report for every document, providing a clear record of what was audited and remediated as evidence for internal and external audits.
- Accessible PDF according to PDF/UA-2
- Audit-ready report for every document
- Download via the web app or via API
- Results typically in seconds
Two paths, one result
Whether web app or API: analysis, correction and audit report are identical. You choose the path that suits your workflow – or combine both.
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Web-App
Upload documents using drag-and-drop, track progress in real time, and download results and audit reports directly, with no installation or training. Ideal for getting started immediately.
Check PDFs for free -
REST API
Process documents automatically from your systems – from document management, CRM or archive. Webhooks report every processing step back to your application, without any manual intermediate steps.
View API & Integration
Where human judgement remains meaningful
Accessful handles the technical work for you. Two decisions, however, remain yours:
Editorial releases
You decide whether to publish a remediated document. The audit report shows what changed in each document, while approval remains part of your workflow.
Technical context of alt text
The AI describes visual content precisely. Your subject-matter experts are best placed to judge whether alt text conveys the intended meaning, for example for diagrams open to interpretation.
To keep the process efficient, Accessful records every audit and remediation step in the audit report, so you can see at a glance where editorial review is worthwhile instead of reviewing every document in full.
Frequently asked questions about how it works
Do I need to prepare my PDFs before uploading them?
No. Accessful works directly on the PDF. You do not need source files or prior PDF/UA knowledge. Submit your documents as they are; the AI handles the analysis and remediation.
What happens to scanned documents?
Scanned PDFs without a text layer initially appear as images to screen readers. Whether they can be remediated effectively depends on the individual case. The best way to assess this is to review your documents during an Initial consultation.
How do I know what Accessful changed in my document?
Every document receives an audit-ready report. It records in a comprehensible manner what was checked and supplemented at the structural layer. The visible layout and content remain unchanged anyway.
Does the correction also work on digitally signed PDFs?
Digital signatures apply to the exact state of a file. Any subsequent change, including to the structural layer, requires the document to be signed again. For signed document collections, we recommend discussing the process in an Initial consultation — for example, by integrating remediation into your process before signing.
Check your PDFs for accessibility – free of charge.
Upload a document and receive a result in seconds - without registering. Or let us show you Accessful in person.